Call it experience, wisdom, unsolicited opinion or communion
with the Universe, but many of us who have reached a certain age have accepted
that happiness is a state of mind and nobody else can bestow that state upon
us.
I
reflect on this question because at the moment my husband and I have several
friends or acquaintances that are in situations where they are aspiring to make
another individual happy. This is the wrong approach in my humble opinion.
Instead, I believe the road to peace, serenity, contentment and even happiness
is to follow one’s heart, decide what one needs to live a fulfilled life and to
refuse to compromise in order to retain, maintain or engage in a relationship.
One
of my friends from my former life, Georgy Ziengs, always told me to eat dessert
first because life is short. I’ve embraced Georgy’s wisdom and made the
conscious decision to avoid compromise when it comes to celebrating who I am at
my very core. People either like me or they don’t. I’ve decided to embrace who
I am and to share my life with somebody else who will not only accept me as I
am but who celebrates me with all of my facets – good, less good, challenging
and delightful!
I’ve
learned that it is not my place to give advice to others because I do not walk
in his or her shoes. But I will encourage my friends and acquaintances to honor
who they are, to refrain from settling for what they perceive they want, and to
engage in some self-reflection to decide what they really want.
It
is heart-breaking to see people we care about suffering because of fear of the
unknown, being alone, splitting up financial assets, feeling inadequate or
appearing a failure for being unable to make a relationship work.
It
takes courage and a certain amount of fortitude to make painful decisions and
move on with life. But in the end, it is the healthiest way to life. Life
passes in an instant and I intend to live every moment to its fullest. I will
not settle!
No comments:
Post a Comment