“Peace requires us to surrender our illusions of control.”
— Jack Kornfield
“Tell the truth. Especially, tell the truth to yourself.”
This great motto is one to live by, but our human nature sometimes doesn’t make this as easy as it sounds.
The book “Lists to Live By” was a long-ago gift to me from a co-worker, a great guidebook, when we exchanged gifts. Every once in awhile, I am reminded to pick it up and read its wisdom
When it comes right down to it, much of life requires us to figure it out as we go. This book, compiled by Alice Gray, Steve Stephens and John Van Diest, is subtitled “For everything that really matters,” and it touches on things from running a home to running a life.
The page titled “When it’s time to let go” reads, “Remember…your child is not the legitimate center of life (he is profoundly instructive, satisfying and pleasant, but temporary).” So simple, so true.
One page carries the heading “Surviving Bad Days” and advises us to go ahead and gripe a little bit to someone who cares, while reminding ourselves that 24 hours from now, this day will be over and long gone, if we let it be.
On faith, “The only way to learn strong faith is to endure strong trials,” a quote attributed to George Mueller.
I could have used this book along the way, and wish I’d gifted it to several high school seniors about to embark on real life. I know, in retrospect, there have been times I have created mountains out of mole hills, saw monsters when there were none, wrestled a few hundred dragons which I made much more stressful instead of just letting go.
I’ve learned to shrug my shoulders at life a little quicker than I used to. Life is filled with difficult people and challenging situations. Sometimes saying nothing at all, or the simple one-word sentence “No” serves as a glorious escape from man-made madness.
I wish I had learned much earlier than I did that laughing at some of life’s craziness is the perfect reaction. Sometimes laughter is an answer. Sometimes it is the only answer.
Sometimes saying nothing at all is a whole lot better than trying to argue and cajole and prove a point that no one seems to want to hear, no matter how true it might be. I realize now, with a bit of earned wisdom, some people will never be ready to hear the truth from a particular person.
I wish I had learned much younger that traveling light is a very good thing. Life is short, so it’s wise to find a way to be happy along this brief journey. Throw your burdens to the wind. Sometimes, retreating to the barn and it’s non-judgmental cast of characters is the best place to gain perspective over a dilemma.
Accept that attitude is everything and those who choose to embrace the changing tides almost never drown.
I wish I had figured out a long time ago that dessert is sometimes all I really want.
Some of this stuff I have figured out for myself. The rest I am learning and applying as I learn it.
I’ll let you know when I attain a new level of wisdom. For now, I’m still reading …
