Sweet Smell of Success

In my household, I'm known as the soup maestro. Sometimes frequently and at other times not so frequently, I spend my time in the kitchen peeling, cutting, slicing, spicing and cooking vegetarian soup. While I really enjoy the process of soup making, what I enjoy even more is how the aroma of a pot of homemade soup permeates the house -- It smells so good!

A few years back I was also into baking my own bread. I think most everyone will agree that the smell of fresh made bread is alluring. It sort of puts a kick in my step and, even on those awful days of pain, it lessens the load a tad simply because I feel so upbeat emotionally.

One of the many points the Taoist sages write about is learning and perfecting a discipline. It doesn't matter what it is, though I would hope it proves beneficial for humanity. When we are able to create something with our own two hands or our brains or our voices or whatever else, it uplifts our spirit and provides a measure of self-confidence.

When you or I feel good about ourselves, we are far more able to tackle the complexities and hardships in life.