The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice that we fail to notice, there is little we can do to change; until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts and deeds. – R. D. Lang
Our body is a brilliant piece of machinery that outperforms even the most advanced computers. Our capacity to act on our thoughts and feelings, and to make thing happen, is unmatched by any other species in the world. – Stephen Covey
The key to grow and is to be curious and teachable. There is affinity in stories that awakens something in us to self-awareness. Other people’s stories make us hear and see what we need to hear and see at the moment. It’s saying to ourselves, “I’m not alone. I’m fabulously flawed and I’m not alone in my great sadness.” Stories inspire us to move onward and stop controlling our external world. When we live in shame, we won’t even hear, see, or feel the story being told. It’ll be just a mere entertainment, always maintain the mask of superiority, a shield of protection just to be liked. A very hard work, I might add, that keeps your heart from loving. For to love is to risk a broken heart.
“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running away from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy – the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” says Brene Brown
It was in my early 20’s that I began to experience a lot of pain from my great sadness. My emotions were so damaged that made me overly sensitive. When you’re criticized growing up, you basically learn to hate yourself. I was compared a lot with those nice girls that broke my spirit. This is why comparing our children with others is like pouring acid into their hearts. I realized that all these feelings and emotions were inside of me. They came from fear, not love. I realized that I had to change my thinking. Every child is unique with her very own intricate design of her soul. Einstein said, ‘The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we were created.” We need a paradigm shift. A change of thinking. I’d rather be relatable than likeable.
I needed to find my voice, considering the words of Abraham Lincoln: “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present.” We must think anew. We must develop not only a new mind-set but also a new skill-set and new tool-set that flows from it. It’s not easy because it throws everyone out of their comfort zones. But a new reality has evolved, new challenges arise. And we must brave out the storms. Thus I will not let the stormy past determine my present.
Resentment and bitterness are traps that keep you from flying. Forgiveness lifts you up from the trap of hate and bitterness so you can fly.