Lao Tsu, the Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism, the animal kingdom (as a whole) and my beloved Mr. T share common wisdom about the longing of the human heart. Our longing is more destructive than we think: it makes joy elusive as it takes us out of ourselves and the present moment. It causes pain to not only ourselves but other living beings. It even does a number on our immune function! Worth a second look, no?

LAO TSU: "The secret waits for eyes unclouded by longing"

ANIMALS: "You need to tell humans about the longing in their hearts: all the animals feel it. It is an ache deep inside, that feels like a cord pulled to the point just before it snaps."

MR. T: “When humans get sick—any kind of sick—it is heart-sickness more than anything else. Their hearts suffer disappointment, lost hope, broken dreams, and also worry that runs under the ground of their awareness. They don’t even know it’s there, but it is, every time they’re awaiting an outcome or hoping for something in the future that they currently lack. It is always the same themes that erode the human immune system.