Insights Cannot Be Forced, but They CAN Be Welcomed

I think don’t think my learning will ever stop.

And if I can pass such things on to my kids…it will be gold for them indeed.

Accepting spiritual growth, however – boy is that the opposite of delightful sometimes.

I’ve lived 4 decades (plus or minus 38, of course).  And during that time, I’ve gained knowledge and wisdom and made mistakes and plummeted into pitfalls but in every single case – I’ve grown as a person.

I’ve always known you cannot put an old head on a young body (ie, share common-sense wisdom and expect it to take).

But now…I’ve also learned that even when you lead by example, you can be:

• Blinded by your own baggage
• Ignorant of the fact that a lack of life-experience makes it impossible for the recipient to truly understand what you want to share.

Whenever life kicks me in the teeth, I always ask myself, what am I meant to learn?

And quite frankly, I’m still pretty bemused by it right now, but here’s what I THINK I can take away from the whole thing.

What you perceive as "walking the walk" is NOT the ONLY definition there is.

Honestly though, it should be.    But alas, it’s not.  And you have to give yourself permission to view the situation through your friends’ eyes as well.

If you have 20+ years of baggage regarding this, it’s really difficult…let me tell you that!!  Because…that means you have to drop the emotional guards that have protected you for decades and TRUST you don’t get hurt as in the past.

And truly, I don’t know if I’m quite that strong.  Time wll tell.

You can realize something that will help your friends  decades in the future…but delivering that insight….takes skill.

Actually, I’m assuming this fact; I have yet to attempt to deliver it.  But because I really value these folk, I’m thinking on the best way to keep their ears open while telling them something they probably don’t want to hear… (but need to).

You can have the most phenomenal wisdom in the world to share, but if your recipients close their ears, it’s useless.

So we’ll see how that goes.

And perhaps the most important:

The future is always in motion.

Whatever stark emotions govern your actions today…they might evolve into understanding tomorrow. 

• HOW to communicate that…it’s pretty darned difficult indeed.

Sometimes it’s tough to let things go…and watch your friends walk towards avoidable disaster.  But then again, it’s not your right to shield them from perhaps…what they need to learn as well.

What do you think?

Barbara