I admit it, I’m wrong

A lot of times in life we find it hard to see where we went wrong maybe when performing a simple task or dealing with those around us and this is quite natural, it’s one of the reasons the phrase “I’m only human” came into existence, but what if we sat down and thought about how those around us may have felt about some of the things we said or did?

We find a lot of the times that blaming others works out a lot easier than actually admitting we did wrong. Whether we do this subconsciously or not doesn’t really matter, in the long run what really matters is how little we learn from consistently doing this and not acknowledging at all the wrongdoings on our part. In life if your mature enough you would ask someone whether they were offended by something that you said or done or you would expect them to be mature enough to confront you about their feelings, but a lot of the times that is not the case. A lot of people choose to turn the other cheek or treat certain issues as though they are trivial until it becomes a gigantic problem for both parties involved. Sometimes we think the most innocent things we say cannot offend someone, but if we took the time to sit down and reflect on our past we would find that a lot of the things we found  insulting may have come from an innocent place with no harm intended; so why do we find it so hard to believe that the minor things we say or do may offend others?

Ralph Waldo Emerson said “unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow”, and I feel we’ve all mastered the ability to always see the good we’ve done for others but it’s still extremely hard for us to recognize or even accept the pain we’ve caused others to feel. Maybe it’s time to start reflecting on your actions, admit you’ve done wrong to others or admit that you’ve done yourself wrong by allowing others to walk all over you. Enough is enough! Today don’t wait for someone else to be the bigger person, take that responsibility upon yourself and do the right thing, whether that means apologizing or venting your opinions about something that offended you before it eats you up inside. In my opinion admittance is something to be proud of, it’s just another stepping stone to ensure personal growth on this gravel road we call life. Remember you’re only human be proud to admit that you’ve made a few mistakes not scared or humiliated, you didn’t ask to feel the way you do but you do have the power to act or react responsibly to a lot of things in your life.

“Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it” – John Maxwell. 

What’s life without a few tribulations, right?

Tribulation is a word even the dictionary finds itself frowning at, so when we find ourselves facing it I don’t blame us for wanting to run for cover or repeatedly pray for its dismissal, but if there’s one thing you’ll learn in life it’s that running doesn’t solve your problems, it only postpone it to torture you at a later date. I wish we would stop and think to ourselves sometimes – what type of person would I be if I never faced the trials and tribulations I did? If you answer that question truthfully then I guarantee that despite us all having similar emotions (happy, outgoing, stress-free, successful, etc) you would see that we all have one answer in common – different – there’s no way we would be the same person we are today. For some of us knowing we would be different is a good thing, but for others constantly defeating their overpowering tribulations is the reason their future seems to have any hope at all.

I feel our tribulations are the reason we are who we are today: it’s the reason we act the way we do and it contributes a lot to how we live our lives; it’s the reason we find it in ourselves to say “yeah, I got this far, why give up now”. I believe our tribulations are the main reason for constantly finding inner strength, developing wisdom and understanding, as well as finding the patience to remain tolerable to some of the annoying things society throw onto our paths.

   

As you mentally mature you'll learn to accept life for the cruel bastard it enjoys being and you’ll learn that it's vital to prove to yourself rather than anyone else that you can withstand anything thrown at you because knowing your strength will help you grow tremendously as an individual. I was always told growing up “God never gives you more than you can handle” and if you thoroughly understand what that means then great, keep it in mind and use it as a motto the next time you are beset by problems. And for you atheists or agnostic folks, if you ever feel like life gets too much and you can’t possibly overcome your obstacles listen to the words of Henry Ford, he said “whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right” – it’s really that simple.

Anyone who wants to overcome something will find the strength to do so and time will play its part in helping you heal because tribulations weren’t created to last forever, it was just invented to help you appreciate the happiness and success you receive after conquering life’s trials. Sometimes when tribulations hits, we find ourselves conjuring more courage than we ever thought we had, so don’t discourage yourself! Today look at your troubles and see them for what they really are temporary misfortunes.

If you are going through hell, keep going. – Winston Churchill.  

It’s a New Year: it’s the perfect opportunity to start afresh!

If life could speak it would say some remarkable things this year – mainly, that it’s thrilled it overcame a year several thought would be its demise. And maybe by confessing this it hope we’d feel more than just a vicarious sense of accomplishment, instead it probably hope we would learn that despite the discouragement of others in time we’ll overcome the doubts we've been burden with. Maybe life wanted us to realize that everyday grants us an opportunity to start afresh, grants us the chance to make proud memories or do the things time robbed us of yesterday.  For example, it’s a new day, a new week, a new month and it’s still the start of brand new year why not take the chance to pursue something new.

We dwell on what we “can and can’t” do but that’s the beauty of learning and maturing as an individual, right? We live in a world that is constantly developing, offering more and more as time goes on and yet we’re reluctant to take advantage of all it has to offer. Whether we know it or not, I believe at this particular point in time, we have all we need to make it into tomorrow, we just need to recognize our potential and how best to utilize what we have. Josh Billings once said “Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well” – a wise message! If a person felt that way two centuries ago in a society that lacks the vast amounts of resources and opportunities we have now, then it should be a piece of cake finding the dedication needed to accomplish anything we desire today. Don’t complicate life more than it needs to be!

I’m simply saying take this year to do the things you always wanted to; go ahead and grasp every opportunity that comes your way. Why not treat life like lemons and squeeze it until you drain it of all it has to offer you (if that makes sense). This year don’t doubt yourself before knowing exactly what you are capable of, you may be surprise how much you accomplish before the year ends.

“Starting over usually involves making some colossal changes but you’ll accomplish so much if you take things one step at time while being thankful for every little thing you manage to achieve.” - AKLH.