I read a quote this morning, which started me thinking…really thinking about the subject in the quote. The quote was by author Richard Bach and it was; “How much to learn if we could spend one hour… or even twenty minutes, with the us we will become! How much could we say to the us we were."
Wow, that is very profound. Just think back to when you were a young child and you were full of hopes and wishes. Then fast forward to a time that you may have made a horrible mistake or a decision that changed your life forever. Or the moment you just ‘knew’ what you wanted to do as your career path. Or when you were a teen and broke up with your first love and you thought it was the end of the world and you just couldn’t go on. Or a time you were bullied and you now realize that those mean people were really the ones who were suffering from a low self-esteem and you were the one who they may have secretly wished they could be. Or if you were the one doing the bullying….that you are so grateful that the other person didn’t take their life, as we hear so often now.
Or maybe remember a very sad time in your life where maybe you lost loved ones and you didn't know if life could ever have any color again. But you have learned that you still have people in your life who mean the world to you and you can have still have happy times with them. And life has given you grandchildren and although you still achingly miss your loved ones, you have indeed been able to be happy again. And that doesn't mean you forgot your loved ones.
How many of those things that you ‘thought’ you wanted when you were so young, would you still want today? Can you even remember that person who you thought ‘broke your heart’ and made you think that you wanted your life to be over because of the breakup? Or would you still do things the same way with your ex? Did you find that life does go on…even after the most agonizing events that may have happened to you? Would you still choose the career path that you were so sure of before you knew how it actually unfolded in your life? Maybe you feel it is too late to change that path and the realization has set in that although you aren’t completely satisfied with your choice, this is what you will be doing for the rest of your working days! What would you say to that young person…’you’….to try and influence the choices you were making, for the most important things that would shape you into you?
What would you say to yourself today, now that you know what actually did happen as your years flew by? Many would be satisfied with the roads they took….many would change some of the decisions they made and sadly, there are those who feel they would change every decision they ever made…and even worse, that they have wasted their lives.
And who would you like to spend more time with….now that they are no longer alive? Who would you like to say you are sorry to? Who would you have cherished more in your life? Who would you have not let go out of your life?
But, the thing to remember is that every decision, every twist and turn in life, is a step we made to grow….to finally become who we are. Another poignant quote by Mr. Bach tells us that this is true; "There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they're necessary to reach the places we've chosen to go."
The only mistake you can make is to not learn from the lessons we are given. But even that isn’t a real mistake. Because, there will be more lessons and more lessons if that is what you need to finally become ‘you’. It can be a painful process….or you may be a quick learner and sail through the lessons. It is up to the individual. It really is all about choices…..and realizing that you are making those choices at every turn.
So Gommy would suggest….IMHO….and for future reference….to really think about what you want for the rest of your life. It’s never too late to live happily ever after. You can do it…Gommy is pulling for ya’. Hugs & Mush, Gommy
