“Serving is intended to benefit the person being served. Pleasing is intended to benefit the person doing the pleasing."
- Steve Chandler
FACTS VS. EXPERIENCE: THOUGHTS ON OCCURRENCE
My opinion about someone or something is just that – my opinion or my thoughts.
I then express those thoughts that I have about someone or something through language that I tell myself and others.
The main thing I must remember is that this is all MY experience of the world.
And just like I have an experience of the world – so does EVERYONE else. And their experience is valid as well.
If I think that my experience of the world is FACT, then I will find myself stuck because I will think that anyone who sees the world differently as being irrational or disconnected from “reality.” And this will not be helpful because people can tell when I think their viewpoint of the world is inferior.
Therefore, to best move forward, we can come to the table and listen to many experiences of the world and know that we have just one piece of the very large puzzle. It helps us stay both grounded and curious. Grounded because we realize we don’t know everything and curious because there is a world of knowledge out there. And there are amazing people we can learn from.
May we focus on being students rather than teachers.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU STOP AND THINK ABOUT THIS?
WHAT IF DESPAIR ISN’T WHAT YOU THINK IT IS?
What if despair isn’t a “bad” thing?
What if it is rather simply an invitation into a new conversation.
A conversation beyond the judgment of it and the thinking of “I shouldn’t be in despair.”
A conversation that reveals that you actually care enough about something to be in despair about it.
How.
About.
That?
So what if you stopped judging your despair and just let it be. Get some perspective from those around you. And keep yourself open to what is being revealed in it.
CONFUSION RESULTS IN MEDIOCRITY AT BEST
Have you ever thought about this: When we resist clarity, it reveals that we don’t believe in ourselves.
Living with confusion, resisting what it takes to move beyond confusion, choosing to be confused.
Is it possible that all of these scenarios reveal that we don’t believe in ourselves to put in the mental labor necessary to get clear so that we can be clear about what we are up to and subsequently throw ourselves fully into it.
What if choosing to be confused is simply a convenient way to hide from going “all in.”
And so, each day, I just dip my toe in. Day after day.
Instead of leaping headlong into the things I truly long for most. (And perhaps grabbing some others to jump with me).
And then, we wondered why we are frustrated, depressed, angry, bored, confused, apathetic, etc.
If you are there — stuck, confused, etc. You don’t have to stay there. Sometimes the first step is to realize you have chosen to be there.
Which means you can choose something new.
Today.