Discipline and consistency are known to be the differentiating factors between those who start projects and those who leave legacies behind. I want to be in the latter group but truth be told it does not come naturally to me, everyday is an uphill struggle. Sometimes I find myself hoping to find a short cut and the more I look for it the clearer it becomes, there is no short cut. All the "power thoughts" and inspirational quotes I have read seem to carry the same message, "hardwork pays". It is with this spirit that I lift my head high, flex my fingers and continue to journal the chronicles.
Most people including myself would like to be viewed as an individual with unique qualities instead of being grouped together and described with general statements. This extends to the experiences we have as we journey on and since there is nothing new under the sun, someone, somewhere has definitely gone through it before. These people maybe family, friends or even strangers. The circumstances could be similar, at times even identical but the personal experience is unique to the individual.
Child birth, parenting, exams, working and office politics are a few examples of common situations almost everyone can relate with. We each react differently so when sharing experiences I'm training myself to consider the environment, emotions, timing, tone of voice and the impact of my words. This is to stop me from extrapolating my experiences and generalizing them for everyone. Life unlike tossing a coin has many outcomes it is therefore unfair to expect others to react and respond to situations the way I do.
This is easier said than done yet significantly impacts friendships negatively and soon tags like "miss know it all", "mr. fix it", "miss i've been there", "mr. i know how you feel" and "miss do it like me" begin to be associated with you. Slowly less people want to be around you, shallow friendships and plastics smiles become the norm. Don't settle for such standards let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, share our experiences without forcing them on others and leave room for the individual to make a choice without the guilt trip.
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."Ralph Emerson
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very interesting read right there...yet so true...keep up the spirit Hannah!
ReplyDeletei feel its a complicated world coz sometimes you say okay, i don't want to share my experiences... then you come out as a snob or introvert. you might share and also get real disappointed with the reactions you get. its a thin line right there but i guess your last line sums it up quite well.:-)
ReplyDeleteI wonder...how do we end up becoming..'Miss I've been there done that...or Mr. know it all'? How is it that we try so hard to plaster our experiences and feelings on others when the initial intention was to help, give an ear to them and what they are going through? I honestly wonder...at what point does a person learn how to turn down the volume of their own thoughts, their own needs, their own dreams...just to listen, and I mean really listen to those of the other person...?
ReplyDeleteHannah, you're post has inspired me today...I want to listen more.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me....they motivate me to dig deeper and keep writing
ReplyDeletemmh.. being associated with others rather then self is a dumper..at least on my end. I like that my life isn't someone's else and theirs ain't mine.Mostly the toning down of my experiences to allow others make their choices with consideration on what spurs them..
ReplyDelete..looking forward to the next read..