Anyone that has been with me since the beginning of this blog knows about my epiphany moments in the shower. (If not, see posts titled Shower Realization Part 1 and Part Deux). It's been quite some time since I had anything worthy of writing down come out of my daily shower thoughts, but today I felt the need to share this quick connection I made in my head with you all.
Somewhere in-between washing my hair and shaving, I started thinking about relationships, friendships in particular. I must admit this whole thing started off kind of haughty. (No not naughty. Haughty! Minds out of the gutters please!) When I meet new people I treat them like I've known them an entire lifetime. I'll invite them to live life with me on all levels. Some people don't know what to do with this, some people take advantage, some people jump on your train, and even others find this frightening. Most people would agree the smart approach would be for me to be more guarded towards who I let in as opposed to immediately inviting these strangers I come across into my life...but I don't always live life in the norm if you haven't concluded yet. If you do the same thing you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten is my motto. In any sense it got me thinking that I must be doing something right and it was evident when I thought back to a couple weeks ago and a close friend commented that I was a "gold mine in friendship" to someone we had just met. As in, new people have no idea how lucky they are to come across a friend like me. (Like I said this whole thing started off very arrogant in my head I'm ashamed to admit.) Apparently people don't expect to run across true friendship, weather the storm, true blue kind of people anymore. Anyway, coming down off my ego trip, I shook my head and reassessed like I was scolding myself for entertaining such ridiculous thoughts. I started thinking not of how lucky they were to have met me, but instead how lucky I was to have their friendship. That felt much better. Then this post ensued.
I contemplated about how different this world would look if we realized that friendships and relationships are a privilege, not a right. I'm sure you have heard this statement used if you've ever lost your license to your own stupidity. You think its a right until it's taken away and quickly realize it was a privilege all along. That happens many times in relationships too. We usually realize what we have a little too late and by the time we figure it out, the damage has already been done. I challenge you to take a look at your own relationships with me, especially your marriage/significant other if you have one. Maybe just maybe if we perceive them in the light of it being a privilege things will change. In doing so, I think we will begin to build a sense of appreciation rather than entitlement. Maybe we wouldn't live in a world where people are shocked to meet a truthful and genuine person.
Somewhere in-between washing my hair and shaving, I started thinking about relationships, friendships in particular. I must admit this whole thing started off kind of haughty. (No not naughty. Haughty! Minds out of the gutters please!) When I meet new people I treat them like I've known them an entire lifetime. I'll invite them to live life with me on all levels. Some people don't know what to do with this, some people take advantage, some people jump on your train, and even others find this frightening. Most people would agree the smart approach would be for me to be more guarded towards who I let in as opposed to immediately inviting these strangers I come across into my life...but I don't always live life in the norm if you haven't concluded yet. If you do the same thing you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten is my motto. In any sense it got me thinking that I must be doing something right and it was evident when I thought back to a couple weeks ago and a close friend commented that I was a "gold mine in friendship" to someone we had just met. As in, new people have no idea how lucky they are to come across a friend like me. (Like I said this whole thing started off very arrogant in my head I'm ashamed to admit.) Apparently people don't expect to run across true friendship, weather the storm, true blue kind of people anymore. Anyway, coming down off my ego trip, I shook my head and reassessed like I was scolding myself for entertaining such ridiculous thoughts. I started thinking not of how lucky they were to have met me, but instead how lucky I was to have their friendship. That felt much better. Then this post ensued.
I contemplated about how different this world would look if we realized that friendships and relationships are a privilege, not a right. I'm sure you have heard this statement used if you've ever lost your license to your own stupidity. You think its a right until it's taken away and quickly realize it was a privilege all along. That happens many times in relationships too. We usually realize what we have a little too late and by the time we figure it out, the damage has already been done. I challenge you to take a look at your own relationships with me, especially your marriage/significant other if you have one. Maybe just maybe if we perceive them in the light of it being a privilege things will change. In doing so, I think we will begin to build a sense of appreciation rather than entitlement. Maybe we wouldn't live in a world where people are shocked to meet a truthful and genuine person.
Remember to whom much is given, much is required. If we start looking at what we have as "much" and a blessing, maybe we would be more inclined to take better care of it as is "required". If we set higher standards of character for ourselves, we can in hopes request the same from others.
I'll end with this C.S. Lewis quote as I think it ties this all together: "It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak...like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. WE ARE FAR TOO EASILY PLEASED."
I'll end with this C.S. Lewis quote as I think it ties this all together: "It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak...like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. WE ARE FAR TOO EASILY PLEASED."
No comments:
Post a Comment