Life 101

My mother had a saying: "The devil doesn't know more because he's the devil - the devil knows more because he is old." And there is something quite true in that statement. The lessons learned in life, the wisdom passed down to us from older generations, and experiences gained become the morsels of sageness that one accumulates in life and is part and parcel of our journey here. My mother would pass on, time and again, these little morsels of sageness by way of interesting narratives and the irritating part (but in retrospect I applaud her patience and unusual method of child-rearing) was that whenever we would respectfully challenge a "suggestion" or directive, she would counter with an old adage, followed by a story of someone who didn't heed said such advice and its consequences. *sigh* Seriously, many times I just didn't ask because not only was I not going to get the answer that I wanted, I would have to sit there and listen to a story....again.

But what are the things that I've learned so far in this life? What are the teachings handed down by my mother? What are those lessons I want to pass on to my daughter? These are the ones that I came up with and, please, add your own at the end. It would be interesting to see what each of us have learned on our journey here so far. But, the things I've learned so far are....

~ that slowing down can be the greatest lesson to learn.

~ that a good, gut-wrenching cry can sometimes cure an illness of the soul.

~ that patience is rarely something you are born with; it is what life teaches you along the way.

~ that forgiveness is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others.

~ that a long life is never a guarantee.

~ that a happy life is never a guarantee.

~ that in times of crisis, everyone surrenders to something that is greater than themselves.

~ that in times of crisis, we need to force ourselves to think sensibly and analytically; no right answers are ever birthed from emotional suggestions.

~ that we all have crosses to bear, but it is in the lifting of those crosses that our faith in ourselves becomes stronger.

~ that almost everyone you love will undoubtedly disappoint or hurt you. But we've also disappointed and hurt in turn, so to forgive should be the right reaction.

~ that you can be a good and caring mother but you can never be a savior.

~ that sometimes the greatest gift you can give your child is to have them learn the lessons themselves.

~ that no matter where you work, you will always encounter the same type of nonsense and the same type of people. There are no perfect people; there is no perfect job.

~ that a happy face sometimes hides a very sad life.

~ that an attractive face or demeanor does not always equate good and kind.

~ that to befriend those in need and less fortunate reaffirms our belief that our love and care for a fellow human being is the foundation from where all good originates.

~ that narcissism is never a good thing and to call it individuality is completely ego-driven.

~ that the ego can short-circuit many a good things.

~ that sense of entitlement and delusion of believing one is better than the next is the cause of many problems.

~ that man's cruelty towards another, towards animals, towards the earth, can be unfathomable and the best thing we can do to counteract this is to teach others that this is not the way.

~ that opening your heart to other sentient beings can at times be like a wound that never heals. Yet, despite the rawness and pain, I'd much rather live with an open wound because the unconditional love and trust that you will always be there for them is the salve that heals both our hearts.

~ that a smile and a kind word can go a long way in changing someone's day.

~ that anger is the suit of armor of the deeply hurt.

~ that your greatest enemy is sometimes your greatest teacher.

~ that if you allow fears to rule your life, you have built a coffin for yourself.

~ that phobias are completely irrational yet the rational mind fails to understand that.

~ that you should take the time to become well-informed otherwise the world will leave you behind.

~ that each new age births new addictions.

~ that focusing on the external and not the internal is a rapid road to nowhere.

~ that silence sometimes speaks louder than words.

~ that all the answers you seek in life are already at your disposal. You just need to stop and listen to you inner voice.

~ that if you are struck with a non-fatal illness, it is, thankfully, not the end of your life. There are countless others in worse states than you, so understand that you are blessed.

~ that a quiet person is not necessarily an uninformed person.

~ that a vocal person is not necessarily a smart person.

~ that anger is a harmful emotion that needs to be reined in before it destroys lives.

~ that envy is a cancer that will eat away at your insides.

~ that depression can kill.

~ that when you loose a child, you will never know the reason why.

~ that you are the greatest role model to your same sex child. (actually, Dr. Phil said this.)

~ that drinking does not solve problems; in fact, it only magnifies them.

~ that compassion and empathy are the seeds that roots a strong and loving life.

~ that to show humility in the face of arrogance speaks loudly of the type of person you are.

~ that evil unfortunately exists.

~ that love always prevails.

~ and music bares the soul and allows it to breathe....


I leave you with this video of Jason Mraz. Just went to see him this Friday with my daughter. He was awesome. A Beautiful Mess, what many times could classify the state of our lives....