Lessons Learned from Life

I was digging around the old posts and realized how very different I am now from who I was.  I can honestly say that I'm grateful for that.  It isn't that the old person was bad, I just appreciate what my experiences have given me a little better.  

 

'Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.', ~Rumi

I'm a lot more tranquil now, and when I'm not tranquil, I will quietly wrestle with myself internally until I find a way to unburden my mind... without ruffling too many feathers if possible. I think I have learned the value of being kind over being right and I save myself a lot of personal and ethical battles that way.  I can honestly say that I've learned to trust more; although it helps that I have more experience under my belt to learn what to trust and how to approach risk methodically when I am unsure.

'Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray,' ~Rumi

I allow people to own their own problems.  I also have grown more comfortable with the feeling of being emptied; whether that's of bias, preconceived notions, or even of hanging onto attitudes that really just don't serve me, no matter how noble they may seem at the time. 

I've also learned how to recognize the people who value others as much as they value their dreams.  One of the benefits of getting older, although you may find yourself occasionally grieving the loss of someone you hoped to build a relationship, is that you become more adept and valuing those who go out of their way to be more supportive and encouraging.  These are the people who nourish your souls and building those connections can provide you an incredible sense of belonging and a place for you to pour out your affections, when you use your gifts to help build this community.  Surround yourself with people who inspire you, who bring out the best in you and believe in you, even when you are unable to see your own beauty.  It's the best way to un-complicate your life and bring more joy to it simultaneously.

'What you seek, is seeking you,' ~Rumi

If you don't already have these things, live your life presently, and VERY, VERY fully.  You will learn what you value and who values you, so that you can move forward with much more depth and elegant simplicity.

I wasn't a huge fan of this video, I think mainly because I used to relate a lot to this character.  It took a strong will and a lot of behavioral conditioning to make myself more agreeable, but the biggest lesson that I learned from all of this is that no matter how much effort you pour into trying to make others like you, you can never be at peace with others until you learn to make peace with yourself.  Thank goodness the internet has provided me access to many ideas for how to find ways to do that.  

Btw, Does anyone else find it ironic that we've become so reliant upon technology these days to teach us to be more acceptable to other humans?  A friend of mine shared a really great article from the Atlantic regarding the over-reliance of online platforms like Facebook and how they have impacted our ability to feel truly connected to one another. The Good news is that it just so happens that my new friends, make the old people that I felt as if I had to chase suck it.  No seriously, one of the best skills you can ever do for your mental health is this: Learn to recognize the people who value others; esp. the ones who can teach you how to truly value yourself. 

Social media—from Facebook to Twitter—have made us more densely networked than ever. Yet for all this connectivity, new research suggests that we have never been lonelier (or more narcissistic)—and that this loneliness is making us mentally and physically ill. A report on what the epidemic of loneliness is doing to our souls and our society. 

Click here to read more...