If you say that someone is being unrealistic, you mean that they do not recognize the truth about a situation, especially about the difficulties involved in something they want to achieve. We believe it’s helpful to set high standards for ourselves, as some sort of motivator or source of inspiration. These feelings more often than not are physically and emotionally damaging, affecting all facets of one’s life. But how do you learn to let go and focus on the present?

If you have had a child, have you found yourself playing the role of security guard, vetting the credentials of those who may access your newborn? However, when looking over the Nativity, strangers and those with little to no personal connection are part of a very intimate moment. But what was the significance of the shepherds at the Nativity? Why were shepherds, of all the people, invited to see Christ following His birth? The answer might be more significant than you think.

Most consumers purchasing athletic clothes aren’t exercising in them at all; they are taking part in a fashion trend often called “athleisure”, because the aforementioned athletic clothes are often worn by people who aren’t working out. For instance, the Wall Street Journal found that sales of yoga apparel grew approximately 45% in 2013, but yoga participation that same year only grew 4.5%. In many social circles, it has already become the norm to wear athleisure clothes in everyday situations, and one could an analogous connection between a half-hearted spiritual life and the symbolic nature of portraying one’s self as active. Projection versus reality, passive facade versus beneficial behavior.