We begin life with the world presenting itself to us as it is. Someone
– our parents, teachers, analysts – hypnotizes us to “see” the world and
construe it in the “right” way. These others label the world, attach names and
give voices to the beings and events in it, so that thereafter, we cannot read
the world in any other language or hear it saying other things to us. The task
is to break the hypnotic spell, so that we become undeaf, unblind, and
multilingual, thereby letting the world speak to us in new voices and write all
its possible meanings in the new book of our existence. –Sidney Jourard
How do YOU uniquely see the world – beyond what “they” told you? Can you begin to look at your world differently? – Patricia J. Hutchings
If we are looking at the world through the lens of what we have been taught, handed to us by others, who had it handed to them, how do we know how we authentically view our world, and therefore experience our daily lives?
The older I get (I am 48 years young writing this post), the more I realize it’s really all about me. I mean this in the way of taking personal responsibility for my choices, my behavior, the way I treat other people – and, perhaps most importantly of all – the way I choose to view the world, which is now based on my internal compass – not what someone else told or taught me. God-willing, I make this choice every day.
I thought I could change the world. It took me a hundred years to figure out I can’t change the world. I can only change Bessie. –Bessie Delany (written at age 104!)
I have been called many things in the past. (I’m referring here to the adjectives which may not be necessarily positive – beautiful, a brilliant smile which reaches your eyes, awesome butt, great legs, warm, honest, generous, etc. I am not referring to in this post.)
Transparent is one, even naïve, and I take that as a compliment.
Selfish is another. I did not take that so much as a compliment!
Yet, suddenly, I am learning that being “selfish” may be one of the best things any of us can do in regards to how we view the world, and therefore how we treat other people. Resentment never helps anyone. Ever.
Here is a simple text I recently sent to someone I deeply love and am in a close personal relationship with (while in the midst of recovering from an over two week head and chest flu:) “I simply want to eat when I am hungry. To sleep when I am tired. And to not have to explain being tired, or hungry, or sick…to another person. If this is selfish, I will take selfish.”
The cats I belong to, Lady Jane and Katie Mae.
Did you catch my post about animals and authenticity? The furry and feathered beings among us never need to have these conversations, which is why they are some of my greatest teachers!
I deeply encourage you to be extraordinarily “selfish” this week.
It…is…all…about…you.
Authentically Yours, Laura
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