You know, at this point I find it a bit funny how things pop up out of the blue. Like the things that come up when you are having a great day and an unexpected turn of events, your day goes upside down, or vice versa. These past months, as I have been learning, growing, going through things, and experiencing new adventures that life gives, have allowed me to learn more about myself and react to things differently. I have learned how to adapt to circumstances with how I act and who I am by allowing myself to observe my actions and reactions.
Most of the time we like to question “Why this is happening?”, rather than questioning “What do we have to learn from it?” It is very easy to get lost in those two questions. Assuming that one will lead us to overthink and dwell on something that is happening, while the latter will allow us to understand and rationalize the situation by finding a solution or the lesson that is to be learned. There are times when some situations present themselves in different ways but seek to teach us the same lesson. Let’s say, learning how to set boundaries. When we want to set boundaries or learn how to, we start by getting the tools and understanding how to use them. We go back to patterns we have and try to observe ourselves by reliving certain experiences to see how we would react now. Then we try and apply it to a situation that has currently presented itself. Now, the fun part is when the situation presents itself, we are likely to react in the exact same way we used to, but the follow-up to that reaction is where we start to change. It is when we choose to start thinking differently, start taking action in the direction we want to change to and allow ourselves to be more rational than emotions in situations which will then allow us to start creating new patterns and habits. This all sounds a lot easier than it is, but it is possible.
What I was getting to at the beginning of this article was how these unexpected situations may occur and we are allowed to react differently each time, no matter the intensity or circumstance the situation is presented in. We are somehow tested to see if we have learned the lesson we need to grow and become a more authentic version of ourselves. However, these tests can sometimes be overwhelming and feel like they are draining. But it is precisely in those moments when you feel like it is too much, and we push a bit more, that we see that we can get through it and it will be worth it in the end because we have learned. If I must say for myself, these lessons allow us to gain knowledge, which is different from intelligence. The knowledge each of us seeks is individual to who we are, which makes each experience and story beautiful for each person. However, it is important to understand that when we do seek this form of knowledge through experience, we must learn how to not compare but to learn from others, and become an observer, not only of yourself, but of those around you. So, I invite you to allow the experiences you have in life to allow you to gain knowledge and growth, through each pattern that is broken, and each situation that is overcome.
Z.