12 Things to Think About
Something I decided to share, after a therapy session and a request to think about these things and respond…part of my process to better deal with life!
1. Past cannot be changed… but it can be overcome and new behavior or ideas can result in better things. My childhood and bad behavior vs. me, now, and past wrong still happening in our society, is my basis for my long time activism.
2. Others’ opinions don’t define your reality… First of all, I speak mostly from knowledge, not just opinion that isn’t inspired by understanding. If people don’t want to listen to me, especially those who follow the “don’t confuse me with facts, my mind is already made up” thing, that’s on them; it doesn’t stop me, neither does it stop me from listening to other viewpoints and maybe getting a different view that can be meaningful to how I see something.
3. Everyone’s journey is different… I don’t try to compare my life and motivations to anyone else’s, but that doesn’t mean I can’t use things I’ve learned from those I’ve come to respect over time to drive my purpose for my efforts. I certainly can learn lessons from others’ experience.
4. Things get better with time… Only if we make it so… We can’t just say “it is what it is” and expect anything better to come. That has never solved anything and has actually contributed to more bad things to come, over time. We kill people who kill people, but people kill people every day, all day long…that’s obviously not the solution to the problem. “It is what it is” maybe justifies the punishment of bad behavior, with the hope that will eventually stop the killing, but unless we work to accompany punishment with meaningful efforts to solve the reasons why bad things happen, all we will see is the forever happening of bad, and likely worse, behavior.
5. Judgments only show your character… I agree, because simply judging people for past behavior doesn’t allow for the opportunity for better things to come from lessons learned. What really matters is what people (including me!) are doing right now.
6. Overthinking will lead to unhappiness… I agree, which is why, while I talk about the bad things, I focus on how maybe things should be done if we want better outcomes.
7. The “happiness” thing… Even if I won $600 million in the lottery, that by itself would not source “happiness”. What I could do good with the money would make me happy, both in my own life as well as how I could make others’ better. I already have things and reasons for happiness…where we decided to live out here in farm country…the relationship we enjoy (we have problems on occasion, but that doesn’t get in the way of us caring about each other and being glad we’re together)…our animals and especially our shared rescue history…my occasional successes for myself and others with the VA and other bureaucracies, and my ability to help my wife get the care and benefits she deserves and other things she needs. Along with that, the things we both enjoy together.
8. Positive thoughts lead to more positive… That’s part of my continual motivation; success means there’s hope for more success!
9. Smiles are contagious… How true! It’s one part of my behavior in helping someone who’s down in the moment.
10. It costs nothing to be kind… True!
11. You only fail if you quit… A main reason for my question, “If I’m not going to be who I’ve always been, who am I going to be?” With lessons of all kinds learned over time, I just don’t want to stop trying to help people and push for better things.
12. What goes around comes around… Absolutely! Good or bad. What we give is what we get.
I hope this is meaningful!
