The Weekend Philosopher: Change

I know I haven't done one of these posts in awhile.  I have no excuse, really. Some weekends I have been legitimately too busy, but there were others where I most assuredly wasn't.  On those occasions, I may have been working on other writing projects (which I suppose could be used as an excuse), but I also might have been stumped for what to post about.

Or maybe, just maybe, I was being a tad lazy.  Please don't judge too harshly. You know we all succumb to apathy from time to time.  I simply made a decision to be ambitious today.

Now, on to the actual topic I wanted to touch on.

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I got to thinking about change today, mostly because I was reflecting on some of the self-destructive behaviors some people engage in and some of the potential reasons why some people hurt themselves the way that they do.  We all know people who sell themselves short.  We all know people who harm themselves, whether it's through constantly berating themselves, or doing drugs, or remaining in abusive relationships.  The list of ways people hurt themselves could go on forever.

I'm not exempt from this list.  I've talked down to myself plenty of times.  And though I won't go into it now, when I was a teenager, I considered doing some pretty harmful things.  Luckily, I was far too stubborn a person to give in, especially as a teenager.

So I get it, at least to an extent.  Life can be hard.  Some situations can be downright insufferable.  Yet there are plenty of beautiful things in life to experience as well.  No matter how dark it may seem, as long as you're still living, there's hope for something better.  Yeah, I know, cue cheesy music.  It may sound like a cliche to say this, but that doesn't make it any less true.

So, on to the reason I chose this quote.  Some people may engage in harmful behaviors to escape from the moment.  They may be trying their best to get through the day.  I honestly try not to judge people too harshly, because even if we don't understand the reasons why people do things that are obviously stupid, in their minds, the actions may be justified by the things that are going on in their lives.  We can't always know, because we're not them.  We can't know exactly how it feels to be them, regardless of how much we may claim to know everything.  I've seen people take one look at a single woman with children who can barely afford her groceries, and they assume they can recite her entire life story.  Guess what?  You can't be that sure of anything.  Don't leap to judgment, especially if you don't want people to leap to judgment about you.

Okay, I got off on a bit of a tangent.  Anyway, as I was saying, people may not think about the consequences of their actions when they're hurting.  Or if they are, the negative consequences may seem worth the reprieve from the world they're currently inhabiting.  All I can say is this.  Maybe, if you're hurting yourself in some way, you should look down the road and truly consider where your actions may lead you.  Is that what you want for yourself?  If it's not, then perhaps it's time to choose a new direction.  As long as you're still here, it's not too late.

And if you don't think you're worth anything better than the disastrous outcomes you foresee, then let me respectfully tell you that you couldn't be more wrong.  You are unique and irreplaceable.  I hate using so many cliches in one place, because sometimes it makes a sentiment seem fake or contrived. (Even though, if you think about it, it may possibly be a cliche because so many people have seen the truth of it.)  Trust me when I say that I mean everything I say here.  We're all worth more than the limitations we place on ourselves.

“There is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost."

― Martha Graham

There are contributions to this world that only you can make.  You do what you do in your own special way, and it's all the more valuable because of the way it differs from what others do.  Embrace that as you look down the road ahead of you, and if need be, prepare to alter course.

Wow.  I think that may have sounded too corny.  Still, I stand by the sentiment.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and unwind from my cliche overload.