Year 2 wasn't a good year for me. I did things I'm not proud of. Even though I was only six at the time, these things stayed with me.
I stole stickers from my teacher.
I stole and ran away with a wig that belonged to the girl in my class who was bald because of the disease Alopecia.
I accidentally spat in my friends face and laughed hysterically instead of apologizing profusely.
See? Not my finest moments.
These memories stayed with me and I like to think it's because they changed me in some way. They taught me not to steal. They taught me to be compassionate and kind. They taught me to be apologetic when you are in the wrong (still haven't got this one perfected).
As an adult, so much of what happens in life is inflicted upon us rather than caused by us. Sure there are difficult situations that we put ourselves in, but often these tough times are not a result of poor judgement at all, they are a result of life. Instead of looking for what the situation is trying to teach me, I have been TRYING to think of how it can change me.
Instead of asking;
"What am I supposed to learn as a result of this experience?"
I have been asking;
"What am I supposed to become as a result of this experience?"
Whether it helps me be more patient, more organized, more humble, or more understanding, I know that our experiences can change us.
It has changed my thinking a great deal in terms of how I react when I feel overwhelmed or hard-done-by in the hand i am dealt because it empowers me. Regardless of the outcome, I WILL gain something positive from the experience.
The lesson my visiting teachers taught a couple months ago was about "becoming" rather than "doing". They suggested to make a "to become", just like a "to do" list, and constantly work on those traits we want to make our own. So, very similar to your wisdom here.
ReplyDeleteYou are such a positive person Jo, I love that about you. It's so nice to be around positive people, it draws people to you.