Wisdom and Wellness Journal, by Lisa Hsu

Virtue begins with oneself:

From observing one’s own actions, grounding one’s reputation, aligning one’s heart, and self-reflecting.

It takes direction in the mind, harmonizes with wholeness, and yet today:

With the Hundred Schools of Thought contending, let it be named freely.

It should follow the framework of the Five Constants,

Self-reflecting, embodying virtue in one’s actions,

Rectifying the heart and practicing it earnestly.

Only then can one find clarity in all matters and peace within the heart.

Thereafter,

People will live in harmony, and the vision of universal unity will be realized. Recently, I’ve been encountering more and more children with ADHD or similar conditions. (Actually, it’s likely not limited to children—adults probably experience it too.) As technology advances rapidly, our minds seem to grow increasingly restless. Rarely do we sit down for a proper meal, savor a cup of coffee, or watch an entire movie without interruption. Even when we binge-watch shows, we use the fast-forward button. At this pace of doing everything, one must ask: are we treating ourselves well?

Confucius once said:

“Commit yourself to the Way, adhere to virtue, rely on benevolence, and immerse yourself in the arts.”

Two thousand years ago, Confucius had already taught us to approach all aspects of life with the spirit of “benevolence” (ren). But if that’s the case, what exactly is ren?

According to the Shuowen Jiezi (Explaining and Analyzing Characters):

“Ren means kinship. It is composed of the radical for ‘person’ (人) and the number two (二). The number two symbolizes the way of Heaven and Earth.”

As the name implies, ren is the idea of being good. But what should we be good to? The scope is vast—it could mean being good to people, matters, things, society, or even the nation. In our daily lives, however, I believe the most fundamental aspect is being good to ourselves.

You might ask: what does it mean to be good to ourselves? Naturally, it means loving ourselves. We often talk about self-love, but how exactly do we love ourselves? If we divide ourselves into three parts—body, mind, and spirit—then to truly love ourselves, we must ensure our physical health, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth. When these three aspects are in harmony, I believe we can truly excel in life.

Returning to the earlier topic of ADHD or other emotional and mental health challenges: if we start by taking good care of our bodies, our emotions will naturally improve, and our spirits will become lighter. The logic seems simple, but how do we put it into practice? First, we can examine our daily habits. For instance: Are we eating three regular meals? Are we getting enough sleep? Are we exercising regularly? Additionally, our surrounding environment plays a crucial role. Is our workspace, home, and living space clean, organized, and comfortable? All these are manifestations of practicing ren and treating ourselves kindly.

So, does eating well, sleeping well, taking care of our emotions, and being the master of our feelings solve all emotional and mental health problems? To a large extent, yes. It’s easy to say but takes effort to accomplish. More to come.

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德也， 從其身， 本其名， 正其心， 己觀之

       方於心， 圓融之， 然 今

百家爭鳴 任其命名 。

應以 。五常為綱

自身省之 形於身 端其心 而行之

方能事事了於心 事事安其心 

而後

人人安居之 。世界大同之 最近遇到越來越多ADHD或類似情況的小孩子。 （其實，應該不止是小孩， 可能大人們也會吧）。 科技日新月異， 但我們的心卻越來越浮燥。 很少好好吃上一頓飯， 喝上一杯咖啡，看上完整的一部電影， 追劇也用快轉。 如果我們用這種速度做所有的事情，試問， 我們有好好對待我們自己嗎？

子日： 「志於道。 據於德。 依於仁， 游於藝」

在兩千年前， 孔子已經教會要用「仁」的精神去經歷生活的方方面面。 如果是這樣， 「仁」又是什麼呢？

說文解字說 「仁，親也。 從人二。 二，天地之道也。」 顧名思義，仁就是對什麼好的意思。 那對什麼好呢？ 這個範圍就很廣了，可以對人，事，物，社會， 國家 等等都算。 對於我們日常生活來說， 我覺得最基本的，應該是對自己好。

你也許會問， 什麼是對自己好？ 當然是愛自己嘍。 我們常常在說要愛自己。 但我們怎麼愛自己呢？ 如果我們把自己分為身，心，靈，三部分。 依這個思路往下走，我們要身體好， 心情好， 靈魂得到昇華。 如果這三個方面都好了，我想我們的人生從此開掛了。

再回來之前ADHD或其他身心情緒有問題的事情。 如果我們回來好好照顧好我們自己的身體，自然而然的，我們的情緒也會跟著開朗，心靈也會越來越輕盈。 道理好像很簡單，但怎麼實踐呢？ 首先，我們可以先審視自身的生活習慣。 比如，三餐有沒有正常， 睡覺有沒有充足，平常有沒有運動。 除此之外， 我們周遭的生活環境也很重要。 像是工作，家裡，還有生活的空間是否清潔整齊，覺得舒服？ 。。。這些都是好好善待自己「仁」的表現。

所以，好好吃飯，好好睡覺，好好照顧心情，做自己情緒的主人就可以解決身心情緒的問題了嗎？ 的確如此。 說來容易，做到卻要一番功夫。 待續。