Alain de BOTTON :: Secular prayer (23 Dec 2012) . [retweets] - https://twitter.com/alainde...
"Always assume that the most cheerful "normal" person may inwardly be fighting immense anxiety and an urge to end it all. Secular prayer for those who desperately need sleep, rest, and calm but have forgotten how to find it. \\ for those terrified of financial humiliation and of losing the love and respect of those they want to protect. \\ for those who adore their children but despair of coping with their demands and uncontrollable ways. \\ for those desperate to make an authentic contribution to society but who agonisingly don't know how. \\ for those who were badly treated and humiliated and who, despite constant effort, can't forget and recover. \\ for those who started marriage with the best intentions but can't be the person they should to make it work. \\ for those gripped by anxieties and phobias that have no basis in reason and yet make an ordinary life hell. \\ for those who long for a true friend, someone with whom it's possible to be totally weak -- and still be loved." - Adriano