Random musings

Ever met a stingy person? Not in terms of gift giving or spending, but people who are stingy with affection, or stingy with acknowledging the good in someone else? Chances are, we don't like such a person. Chances are, we are that person (Maybe, not to everyone but to someone). I have been thinking about how one of my main triggers for the past year has been ingratitude. Like when you do things for someone, but they either blow it off or don't value it. When they find things to complain about and never have a good word to say.  When we are around generous people, it lifts us up. They raise us to be better versions of ourselves. I recently read a quote which stuck with me, "If you don't like what you are reaping, consider what you are sowing" . If we don't invest in something, whether a person, a task or a relationship, it dies a natural death. That is just the way it is. Generous people don't rely on the reciprocity of their actions to be generous. In most

  “We see life as unfair and ourselves as its victims. We focus on the offenses others have done against us. And we fail to realize all these offenses pale in comparison to our own offenses against God, who not only forgives us, but both requires and enables us to forgive others and move forward free from the past. We should forgive as God forgave us, not once but many times.” This is the heart of God's forgiveness message. I wonder sometimes, what this means for victims. For people who are at the receiving end of others' sins. People dealing with years of trauma, abuse, neglect or betrayal. We all sin and fall short in many different ways, but forgiveness is more complex than that. The offenses that are done against us are wrong, simply because they are like our own offenses — wrong because they are done against God. To imply that our pain is not real or valid because we ourselves have done wrong, would be to negate the entire human race and the wrongs we inflict on each other

Self awareness is the art of understanding ourselves. Why we act the way we do, our thoughts, emotions, likes, dislikes, goals, feelings, who we are, what we want to become, where we want to go, our capabilities, and limitations.   Self awareness has been linked to the ability to make better decisions and informed choices. To create a life we desire and ultimately relate better to the world around us. The desire to learn more about oneself is the basis of personality assessment tools like Myers Brigg.  I identify as an INFJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging) personality type. I remember reading about INFJs and feeling a sense of being understood. I have spent my life feeling like a misfit. I connect with people yet feel disconnected at the same time. I dislike being forced to do things in a highly structured way. My thoughts are abstract;  I silently rebel; I can be opinionated, overtly idealistic, and stubborn but most people wouldn’t know these things about me.   While these

I always start off the New Year with resolutions, most of which don't last for more than a few weeks. I recently heard someone talk about the lessons they learned from the previous year, and it seemed like a great form of introspection. Here are few of my lessons from 2022 -   1. Don't be an insufferable know-it-all. No matter what encyclopedia of knowledge we have or our life experiences or wisdom, there is always something we DO NOT know. Be humble, teachable and open-minded. There are things to learn from every person, young and old. 2. Don't be an expert on someone else's life - We do not know more about someone's life than they do. So, listening is of more value than judging or giving unnecessary opinions. 3. Not everything that people claim is exciting is going to be enjoyable for you. Whether it's bungee jumping or zip lining or rock climbing or what not, just because the pictures look good doesn't mean it was a great experience for everyone involved.