The most important thing mortals do in this mortal human life is the nurturing of another human being. Nurturing means to do things which increase the happiness and/or health of another human being. Increasing happiness is more important than increasing physical health, but both are important.
To actually succeed in increasing both the happiness and health of another person is the greatest human achievement. To increase the happiness of another person is to teach or help them to choose good over evil and truth over error, and in that order. Buttering people up is not nurturing them.
There are certain human occupations which have the potential of nurturing more than others. I will list what I think are occupations high on the nurturing list in order of power to nurture: 1. Being a mother. 2. Being a father. 3. Being a wife. 4. Being a husband. 5. Being a sibling. 6. Being a friend.
Some other occupations which rank high in nurturing are: 1. Being a missionary. 2. Having a church calling. 3. Being a teacher.
These are ranked in order of their potential for doing good, the greatest good for others (which is also the potential for doing the greatest harm).
Note some things about these occupations:
- What matters about each one is how well the role is executed.
- The world (most people) takes these occupations for granted, not deeming them most important.
- The world (most people) will tell you that how you make your money or fame is your most important occupation. Don’t be fooled by their error.
Please don’t waste your time in mortality by pursuing fame or fortune to the neglect of nurturing someone(s). Making money (fortune) can be a good thing, but making more than we need for our own needs is good only if the money we gain is used to enhance our ability to nurture others or is used to nurture others.
And not incidentally, if you are not happy, it is because you are not nurturing others as you could and should. Helping others to be happy is the greatest source of human happiness. Many of us would rather lick our wounds and complain about how others treat us than be happy. We live in a world where many people will hurt us, some intentionally and some unintentionally. The way to happiness is to forgive all who wound us and to focus on doing as much good (nurturing) as we possibly can for others.
Is it possible to nurture oneself? I think not. Self-nurturing is selfishness. If I wish to enhance my own happiness, I do it not by seeking it directly, but by seeking to help others treasure and use light (good) and truth, which is nurturing others. If I seek truth and to do good for myself, the truth I will find is that nurturing others is the greatest good I can do.
He who would find happiness will find it not in selfishness, but in sacrificing self and his or her own resources to nurture others. The intelligent goal for human beings is to live outside ourselves in love for others. The purer that love is (pure love is selfless love), the greater the nurturing and the greater the happiness for both the receiver and the giver.
Happy nurturing!