How does it feel to be free to be you? Do you recall such a moment? Sadly, too many fear to be themselves, to be vulnerable to criticism or to expose their real thoughts and feelings. Dealing with change in various parts of our lives is also a challenge that many of us don't always readily accept. It is a bodily and emotional struggle to share the real truths that are in our heads or what questions we think about. Journals become a guarded secret for some because they only want to share their thoughts on paper. It is a naked truth, wondering if others think or feel the same way and is it okay to say it or do it, whatever that may be.
We exist in an environment filled with stimuli. Everything about us changes every minute and every day. Our bodies grow and our minds experience more each day. Change is constant while time continually moves forward. We feel, see, hear and absorb so much from this world. Finding silence is rare. Our minds need to be aware and present to navigate through our day to day lives. Expanding your horizon means appreciating all the learning that we do throughout our journey. Learning never stops. We meet people around us that teach us to live with different perspectives or beliefs. Depending on how comfortable you are of the people that you associate with, we collectively grow with everybody directly and indirectly.
We form habits and patterns of the majority of the team. There is a plethora of characteristics, personalities and activities that we learn through association. Every thought that we think of recalls or associates actions, wants or needs based on the learning objects and activities around us. How many of you remember things like scents, taste, and feel on a past memory (positive or negative)? Many of us do. We form biases based on past experiences, through learned behavior. What the latter means is that we can change our behavior as we get exposed to different experiences. Not everything is permanent. I have a stubborn behavior as well as not giving up or believing strongly about certain aspects of our lives and knowing right from wrong. I don't always do things the correct way. I make many mistakes and try to learn from it through experimentation.
It is a life journey to expand our horizons of thoughts. Meditation gives us the ability to be mindful of the present experience. The willingness to share our stories with others build that connection and camaraderie among us. We realize that we are not alone and that we also share the different frustrations, challenges, and sufferings that we face in some parts of our lives. Our identifies are constantly validated through our accomplishments and what we can prove to be our own. The society that we know today is very complex. There are many interconnections of relationships that are managed through agreements and compromise. Some people have long histories of pre-negotiated beliefs and standards of living.
Get to know yourself. Find what you can tolerate and what you are willing to do to reach your dreams or goals. We can read many books or even get many recommendations from others, but in the end, you get to decide the path that you live in. Not only do we need to learn the different rules, customs and ways of living; we need to know who we are too. It will take patience and empathy to let yourself be exposed to the world. It is the freedom and permission to be you. You are the key to expanding your horizon. You hold that truth within you.
I have had to let go of many assumptions that I made in the past of what I thought was what. Some times I found it was just in my head and needed to examine the world as it is in front of my eyes. I learned to watch and listen to others more closely, just like a scientist looking at their experiment. Looking for slight changes. There were subtle changes that were hard to define or notice until I took the time to pause and slow down. I know how difficult it is to slow down when my preference is to go fast. So here I am telling you what I think and how I feel. I am practicing being vulnerable so that I can inspire others to be more true to themselves and others.
