It’s more important now than ever to build and maintain true community. I haven’t been a very social person for most of my life and have begun making an effort to change that. Once I made that decision, a few old acquaintances began contacting me (interesting timing).
One is a good friend in Texas, and another is someone I crossed paths with through my mentor. He lives in Europe and works as a French teacher. He and I have begun corresponding, sharing news and ideas, keeping our spirits up, and generally getting to know each other better. My other friend and I are closer, though. We’re on the phone with each other at least once or twice a week. We swap jokes, talk about her schooling and new job training, and enjoying the simple things in life like books, wild animals, favorite songs, and dancing to the beat of uplifting mantras I’ve saved to my playlist on youtube. That was a lot of fun!
My mentor always says, “Life is what you make of it.” I didn’t understand or believe how true that is until the past few years. It is very easy to point to everything and everyone else and hold them responsible for my motivation and happiness, but at the end of the day, the only person who can do anything to reshape my life is me. She can give me guidance, but if I never take it, things will stay the same. Maybe some day, I will share a few tidbits of my past here on my blog.
It’s very important to look back and see how far you’ve come, and then think of where you might be now if you hadn’t made the changes you’ve made. Alura says that’s one of the best ways to stay motivated. I tried it, and believe me, it works! I shudder to think of what would’ve happened had I not opened my eyes and started moving in a more positive direction. We all have a lot to smile about, and I think the world could use some more smiles – don’t you?
- E.W.
Superlative Deviation: Life With Meaning, Life With Joy 