We’re all searching for what we believe will bring us life. In that search, we can look upward or we can look outward.
Think of the cross, that horrific tool used by the Romans to demonstrate — in no uncertain terms, in a very clear, physical manner — who was in charge (Rome, not you). It consisted of a long vertical wooden beam for the body of its victim, and a shorter horizontal beam for the arms and hands. Its two parts came together near the heart and head.
Though Rome is long gone, the cross lives on as a symbol: Focus your search vertically and you’ll have life to the fullest; focus horizontally and you will be left empty.