On one such trip into the cyber-verse, I stumbled upon the graphic at the left, and it struck a chord deep enough that I chose to save it for future reference ... that time being now. Anyone who has spent even the most minimum of time in a classroom has been faced with using the 5 W's of WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and WHY, standards in any investigative attempt at enlightenment. The difference in this particular case, is the enlightenment is of a more personal nature, aimed at one's efforts at self-improvement. IMHO , there are more images, videos, blogs or pages aimed at self-improvement than any other topic, but not all are worth the effort required to investigate.
I truly believe this is one of those begging for further thought.
"WHO you are makes you special. Do not change for anyone."
One of the things that I learned in high school and university biology classes was the incredible potential for diversity when it comes to a living thing's DNA, or genetic blueprint. Even individuals said to be the same, like identical twins, are fundamentally different on a genetic level, meaning that each human being is unique ... or in other words, each of us is special. If we fall prey to comparing ourselves with others in the search for contentment, we're doomed to failure and heartache since there will always be others who will possess greater fortune in some manner or another. For me, the secret is be content with the person I see in the mirror, and as the late Whitney Houston sang, "Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all."
"WHAT lies ahead will always be a mystery. Don't be afraid to explore."
In my view, one of the plagues of today's society is the insatiable need to plan for the future, perhaps in the hopes that success ... or more appropriately, what is VIEWED as success ... is achieved by removing all possibilities of the unknown. From where I stand, that attitude is fraught with error, leading to heightened levels of stress and anxiety when the inevitable consequences of Life present an alternative reality, where gnashing of knuckles and furrowing of brows accompany moans of "why me?" Life has always been a roll of the dice with Mother Nature being a fickle friend, bringing twists and turns our way despite the best of laid plans, and being unaccustomed to dealing with the bumps in the road is paramount to banging your head against a hard surface and hoping it stops hurting. Some of the best adventures I have experienced have come with embracing the unknown and stepping off the ledge of comfort. As the saying goes, "Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone!"
"WHEN life pushes you over, push back harder!"
This is akin to sayings like, "When life give you lemons, make lemonade" or "Get up one more time than you were knocked down" and for me, the key to the message is that Life will always be a struggle that begs to be accepted, embraced and nurtured because that is what it means to live. Look no further than the brutalness of Nature for proof, witnessed by the daily struggles to find water, food and safety in the hopes that life continues long enough to procreate and continue the genetic line. If the antelope of gnu resigned themselves to the threat of the lion instead of doing everything within its power to remain safe, it wouldn't be a very long stay on this planet. We are the product of millions of entities that came before us and survived, but try as we may to eliminate hardship, the struggle is hardwired into our souls and the need to work hard to survive paramount to our existence. No one has ever promised that Life would be easy.
"WHERE there are choices to make, make the ones you won't regret!"
I'll go on the record that this is my least favourite one. If I'm unafraid of the unknown and I push back harder when things get bumpy, it stands to reason that I'll make a decision that I'm not 100% comfortable with ... aka some regret, however small it may be. If I read into the statement and take it to mean always be true to yourself when making tough decisions, the opinion of others be damned, then I'll support that statement until the end of time. I have a personal bias against those in my life who I've seen make decisions that I had a hunch were the wrong choice at the wrong time by placing too much stock in what other people might think. Balderdash, I say! You can choose to compromise on the small stuff, but the big stuff has to be true to your inner most you. As the late Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downey famously reminded his audience, "Success is getting what you want; Happiness is wanting what you get."
"WHY things happen will never be straight forward. Take it in stride and move forward."
THIS! So very much THIS!
Nothing good comes from worry and strife born out of negatively gnashing our teeth and pining over things that we wished would never have happened. As the wisdom of the ages points out, if you can change it, do so; if you can't change it, let it be. Life is incredibly complicated and convoluted, full stop. Stuff happens, as the G-rated saying goes, and there's not always an explanation that satisfies. Get angry for a short time, regret for a short time, complain for a short time, even cry for a short time, but know that the negativity has a shelf life and the end should come quickly. You need to be move on with your head held high. You can't change the past, and it's my opinion that the past should ALWAYS remain in the past.
I'm going to get off my soapbox now.
I feel better already, having shared my thoughts.
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