What You’ve Learned (Reader Comments)
I received many comments in response to my last message, “What You’ve Learned” (November 11, 2008).
All of the comments were fascinating. Thank you for sharing your own life lessons and insights. In this issue, I am including excerpts from some of the emails I received. In upcoming issues, I will include more of them. I don’t want to overwhelm you at one time, so I am breaking them up.
I regret that I am not able to share all of them. I truly feel all are valuable and I learned and benefited from them. Here is the first batch of reader comments:
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“In the past 10 years I have begun to desire more and more to help others as much as possible and to do all I am able to make this world a better place. My husband passed away a few years ago. His illness & death really opened my eyes to see how short our lives are and how unimportant material things are. Good health and peace of mind are more important to me than material comfort.
I have learned to be more patient, considerate and loving toward all people, especially those who are not of the same race, faith, or social standing as I am. Most of my life I have lived to make myself and my family comfortable and happy. My desire now is to focus beyond my own little corner of the world. I believe I had to reach a certain level of maturity and have certain life experiences before this attitude truly became a part of me.”
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“The greatest lesson I’ve learned in the last 10 years - to trust God implicitly. I do not have to know what His plans for me are, or where He is taking me. It is enough to know that whatever He plans for me, it will be for the best!”
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“One of the lessons I’ve learned over the years is not to worry, in an excessive way, when something goes wrong. Either in your personal life, or your work life, something that you did, or said, turns out, in your mind, to be a colossal crisis. One of the ways to cope with this “crisis” is to say to yourself, ‘Is this going to be a crisis 10 years from now, or even 10 days from now?’ In other words, learn from your mistake, but don’t let it control your life for a long time. Someone wrote a book with the title “This Too Shall Pass” and that seems to be a good philosophy, for you to put into effect immediately, when mistakes happen.”
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“The most important thing I learned is that LOVE is the key to everything. I do not consider cost anymore when someone needs help. Before I was rather judgmental now I feel all people and animals and flowers are beautiful and for me to enjoy and I do. And because of that I meet more beautiful people daily. Life to me now compared to 10 years ago is more beautiful everyday — and I am grateful to all my teachers – Number One my Wife. Love you ALL.”
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“I’m in my 40s. As I grow older, I see that when I pass on in this life, my epitaph will not contain one word about my level of education, my promotions or net worth, or my job title. It will simply say the years of my birth and death– which are the two most important days we will have on Earth.
I used to get panic attacks and I took Tylenol PM every night for 7 years because I was in a high-paced, high stress profession (and still am). However, one day my phone rang and it was my son’s doctor with results of an MRI. That day, the stress went out the window– along with the Tylenol and panic attacks because I knew that even if I lost my business the next day, it would pale in comparison to losing my son. When the focus shifts from yourself to another, that is the only time when you can truly know peace.
Thanks to God, my son pulled through and is fine. But the lessons in priorities will remain a lifetime.”
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“In October, 1998, my mother underwent brain surgery that left her with stroke-like effects on her left side. Prognosis was that she had less than a year left on earth. I embarked on the toughest, most love-filled journey of my life as I managed her rehab arrangements and prepared to move her to our house for hospice home care. Mom lived five and a half months with us, and I had the honor to be with her at her peaceful, mystical departure, singing her favorite hymns as I tidied up her room around her.
I learned that when I listen for guidance and follow it, every step, that I don’t need to worry about “how long…” or “when…” or “what…” — fretful details that my chattering mind wants answers to before acting. I can step out with faith that what is needed is provided at the right time, in the optimal way, better than I could have planned it in the first place.
The years since her passing have been years of events flowing into order with a sense of Beauty, Love and Grace. I am often in awe.”
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I hope you found these comments to be of interest. More to come next time. If you haven’t sent your comments yet on lessons you’ve learned in the last 10 years, please do so by sending an email to jeff@YourSpiritualJourney.net .
– Jeff Keller