Measurements

"You measure your life by what you learn, not by counting how many calendars you've seen. If you're going to have trauma, better it be the shock of discovering the fundamental principle of the universe than some date predictable as next July.” ― Richard Bach, Running from Safety: An Adventure of the Spirit

Almost birthday time for me, so I can wax nostalgic about the years gone by, or the ones that lie ahead. I spend enough moments looking back, time to open up to what might be. No sense wasting time on what you can't change, just learn from it and keep on keeping on.

Lesson learned Part One: Don't allow yourself to be sucked into toxic relationships. Once you've identified them, there's only one thing to do: RUN. RUN FAR AWAY. Nobody deserves you in their life if they've hurt you. Don't fool yourself into thinking you can change them. You'll change yourself by accepting them, and they will hurt you again. 

Lesson learned Part Two: Always let people know how you feel, even if you don't like them. Don't waste your time, or theirs. Everyone you love should be able to recall the last time you said "I love you." If they can't, you need to remedy that. Now. There are no guarantees of another moment, so don't let this one go. ALL IN. Likewise, your time with people you can barely tolerate should be minimized. Move along. See Lesson One above.

Lesson learned Part Three: Never say anything you haven't thought out. You can NEVER take anything back. People say they forgive you for your words, but they lie. Not intentionally, but they can never forget. Without that, there is no forgiveness. Think long and hard about what you say, when you do say it. You will never be the same once you speak, particularly in anger. No do-overs.

Hey, those all really say the same thing. I guess I only learned one lesson. So far.