fear seeks control

revenge prolongs pain

animosity disrupts peace

compassion ignites healing

honesty releases burdens

happiness is letting go

 

-yung pueblo

Have you ever been scared? Have you ever wanted to seek revenge? Has animosity ever made your stomach churn? Have you ever felt compassion for someone who might not deserve it? Have you ever been honest with yourself after rationalizing the irrational? Have you ever been purely happy? 

I can answer each of those questions affirmatively. From my experience, the first three feel flagrantly unpleasant. Fear, revenge, and animosity bring a sense of excitability. They come from a place of pure reaction. And they linger in my mind long after the situations that cause them pass. The next two may feel unpleasant at times, but they do not linger. Compassion and honesty create a clear mental path. And that path can lead to happiness.

 If you’ve come to understand and accept that perspective, you’re on your way to a beautifully peaceful existence. But that doesn’t mean you won’t run into many people who don’t get it, personally and professionally. And that’s when you need to learn to let go. In some cases, you may need to let go of the people. But most times you must simply let go of your expectations for them. They’ll come to their peaceful healing terms when they’re ready. And if they don’t, that’s their responsibility, not yours.

The End

Time seems to be so simple. Each minute equals 60 seconds. Each hour equals 60 minutes. Each day equals 24 hours. Each week equals seven days. Each year equals 52.1775 weeks. But time is more complex than what it equates to mathematically. Sometimes painful, peace-disrupting experiences take a long time to conclude but can teach valuable lessons. Time may seem to crawl by at a snail’s pace, and you’ll wonder if it’ll ever reach a conclusion. But the lessons learned can open you up to accept the happiness and joy that is likely to follow. And when the peace enters your life, it’ll make time seem to pass effortlessly. You’ll wonder where the time goes, and why it passes so quickly.

 A year spent with fear, revenge, and animosity in your heart takes much longer to pass than a year spent with compassion, honesty, and happiness in your heart.

 The time is going to pass anyway. Which would you prefer?