When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you. – Winston Churchill
If eggs are gluten-free, high in protein, packed with amino acids and choline, why not keep as many of them as possible in one basket?
The saying “do not put all your eggs in one basket” carries the meaning: “that one should not concentrate all efforts and resources in one area as everything could be lost.
For one businessperson who is developing several arms of an enterprise, a loud “no” to the notion may spring forth because for him it may not be good business sense to do so. The argument may be, “If a crisis arises and one entity folds up then turning to the other for ‘financial nutrition’ is good financial planning.” Another businessperson may follow the idea of Andrew Carnegie who said, “The wise man puts all his eggs in one basket and watches the basket.”
Whatever decision the businessman or woman may make on the proverb, the idea of being prudent in getting the best mileage out of the business appears to be the action that may be within his/her commercial radar.
Today, I want to introduce a “basket” that I can safely say can become very efficient when all the “eggs” are in it – the intact ‘family basket’. Intact families are ‘those families where the biological parents are present in the home’. A very high percentage of homes in the Caribbean seem to fall short of this model; however, it does not mean that pattern of family design should become the standard for generations to come. It can change.
The records show that intact families, though not perfect, do have a far higher success rate as it relates to stability and cohesion than those that operate differently. If the man, the woman and the children decide to live harmoniously as a unit, such family “eggs” would not only be intact and produce a “nutritious” environment on which each member derives tremendous benefits, but also the chances of breakage may becomevery slim.
This harmony is all made possible long before the man and woman come together as husband and wife. They must individually prepare themselves making it possible for the creation of two separate healthy family “eggs”, the result of which would begin the formation of the all-in-one united family “basket” experience. Taking a look at how this is all made possible may be useful.
Self-love
First, there should be a genuine self-love. The man and the woman must each develop over time a genuine love for him/herself. This love is like a high quality essential ‘protein’ that forms within the center of the individual’s life, making it feasible to establish loving building blocks within his/her personality.
The man and the woman despite the challenges they may have encountered during their childhood years, should seek to foster, with some guidance where necessary, some essential core values like self-respect, honesty, integrity, kindness and a strong God-focus. With each having a love of self, the chances of creating a genuine love for each other are great. The end result would be two healthy ‘eggs’ within the family ‘basket’.
The kind of love to which I am making reference does not first come out of the individual’s feelings, but one that first flows from the individual making a decision to love him/herself.
I agree with Shailene Woodley who said, “I think the most important thing in life is self-love, because if you don’t have self-love, and respect for everything about your own body, your own soul, your own capsule, then how can you have an authentic relationship with anyone else?”
It is logical to conclude therefore that if someone loves him/herself, loving others becomes a great possibility. The opposite is also true.
Secondly, there should be mutual love for each other. When the husband and wife see each other through the eyes of genuine love it has a way of promoting unity and eliminating competition between them. The couple can therefore operate side by side within the family “basket” and set a pleasant stage for other ‘eggs’, namely their children, to join them and benefit from what they have developed together.
