yogi tea bags are full of wisdom.

I love to drink green tea. Yogi Tea, I have found, has the most delicious green tea flavor in their super- antioxidant bags. The little tags on the end of the tea bag strings always have short quotes on them that offer small bits of philosophical wisdom. Just like the excitement that came along with finding the treat in the box of Cracker Jacks, I look forward to what my Yogi tea bag will say on it each day.

Today, one of my Yogi tea bags read, "You must live for something higher, bigger, and better than you."

I love this quote. I've seen it several times before, but it's one that always resonates with me. As I am no stranger to being selfish (hey, at least I'm owning up to it), it's good to see this to make me remember that I am no more significant than anyone else, and, above all, I should look to those around me to see how I can make their lives better. (That's a selfish motivator, though; I get a great deal of self-satisfaction out of helping others.) Clearly, the most important people in my life are my babies, and they get precedence over all others. To this end, I've always tried to teach them the importance of being aware of their surroundings and the happiness and struggles of others, including the people in their lives and those that they do not know. One of my favorite books to read to my Ella and Summit is called Zen Shorts by Jon Muth. It is a beautiful book that discusses letting go of anger and resentment, trying not to put too much credence into good versus bad luck, and the value of being willing to sacrifice our very last dime even to people who we may not think deserve it.

We can't know a world without pain and suffering, danger and violence if we focus only on what is good for ourselves individually. We must work for the safety and well-being of all people... and in doing so, we open up the world to a higher, bigger, and better place. Namaste.