Jones Alley
upon reflection
After a recent conversation with a friend about how life seems so often unfair I finally managed to figure out why that is a sentiment shared by everyone, no matter how well the universe may have seemed to treat some of them. It's because everyone on the planet has baggage.
The baggage of some is arguably more portentous than the baggage of others, but for each of us, the view from the inside of our own life is the same in one sense: the worst that has happened to us in our lives is the worst that we really know. Our life is a constant lesson from the moment we are born that there is always going to be injustice done to us, that people will always pursue their agendas regardless of how it impacts us, and that the only one who can protect us is us.
Once we all get to that point and understand that the world is unfair to everyone, we can finally grasp that as wonderful as life can be, it is still an adversarial relationship and we must be on the defensive all the time and watch out for our own heart and sanity because nobody else is going to do that with the same interest and intensity that we can for ourselves.
By understanding that we are the ones who are responsible for our own happiness we can also finally understand that we are the ones who are responsible for our own unhappiness.
As the destination is the same for all of us, what differentiates some lives from others is the realization that it's the journey we take that is important, not where we end up.
The baggage of some is arguably more portentous than the baggage of others, but for each of us, the view from the inside of our own life is the same in one sense: the worst that has happened to us in our lives is the worst that we really know. Our life is a constant lesson from the moment we are born that there is always going to be injustice done to us, that people will always pursue their agendas regardless of how it impacts us, and that the only one who can protect us is us.
Once we all get to that point and understand that the world is unfair to everyone, we can finally grasp that as wonderful as life can be, it is still an adversarial relationship and we must be on the defensive all the time and watch out for our own heart and sanity because nobody else is going to do that with the same interest and intensity that we can for ourselves.
By understanding that we are the ones who are responsible for our own happiness we can also finally understand that we are the ones who are responsible for our own unhappiness.
As the destination is the same for all of us, what differentiates some lives from others is the realization that it's the journey we take that is important, not where we end up.
posted by Milo Johnson at 10:35 AM
3 Comments:
Yep, you're right...I'm learning to give up on people that don't show me the same respect I give them. No more chances.
"Scotty: On Earth, we have a saying: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Chekov: I know this saying. It was invented in Russia. "
Sure wish I had taken this to heart in my 30'--or 20's--I'm a slow learner when it comes to looking out for myself. Oh well....as you say, I'm responsible and I'm finally accepting that responsibility.
I guess I've just been lucky to have some "givers" for friends to help make up for the "takers". We spent Thanksgiving with a group of "givers" and it was grand!
I'm getting there. Still screaming, but getting there.
The important thing to remember is that it's a process. It's like the speed of light. You can't ever attain it, you can only more closely approach it.
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