“Like the wind, we would be wild and free.”
- Without You by Avicii
Every person you meet in your life is fighting at least one battle which you have no idea of. That is the beauty, the mystery and the challenge of life all at once. It is seemingly impossible for any person to know everything happening in another person’s life. There will always be a secret garden, taking it all back to that specific moment where everything we knew about life changes forever. For some people, one story is the root of who they are. For others, it is a collection of memories, doubts, rises and falls throughout time and space.
People are shaped by various factors, some which have origins whereas others are the origin in itself. We tend to start overthinking things once one particular event in our lives makes us reconsider how people viewed us, especially when we realise that it was all smoke and mirrors. We try to distance ourselves from our emotions and use more rationale in our decisions after someone belittled us for being too sensitive.
It is in such moments that we develop some form of trauma, may it be significant to the point we could develop PTSD, or just the thought of that event could live rent free in our minds and dictate how we approach situations in the future. We decide that we would miss out on certain opportunities in life, rather than to face these scenarios head on and run the risk of getting hurt again. Both behaviours can be understood in my opinion. It is not easy to put yourself out there again after you were faced with ungratefulness once already. After all, who would want to fall down again? The first time was not even close to pleasant, how would a second time be any different?
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over whilst expecting different results.”
- Albert Einstein
Like a flash of bright lights, the mind would immediately reminisce about what happened in the past. This leads to a particular pattern of thoughts, words and actions after the information has been processed and linked to that one time when things did not go our way. A spiral can form out of this approach to life, leading to a certain paralysis and making it impossible for us to move forward. Whatever that event in the past was about, may it be sports, love, friends, family, work or whatnot, one factor is always present: the growth of irrational fear.
Fear turns into doubt and doubt into paralysis. It is unthinkable to become a better version of oneself and reach for the stars when everything is about playing it safe. This does not mean that we should rush into everything that comes to mind. It means that if we are going to wait for 100% certainty before getting anything done, we will never amount to anything. In this world, nothing is ever 100% guaranteed. Risks are required in order to benefit from life and actually say to ourselves at the end of the day: “I lived”.
Be kind to others. Be kind to yourself.
Forgive others for when they hurt you. Forgive yourself when you are harsh with yourself.
Learn from the past. Look for a better tomorrow.
“Fear ain’t gonna save you, so run for your life
Let the moment take you, right into the arms of the light”
- Unbreakable by BUNT
Change The Lens 