When I was younger I used to think I knew enough and mostly knew all I needed to know.
I was mostly isolated from other people and in my own little world. I was more inclined to stay quiet, shut down, and not cause any ruffles.
I was scared of people not liking me, scared of upsetting someone, scared of the backlash of someone else’s hurt feelings.
I’ve pretty much turned all of that on its head now. And while it feels better to love this way, it sure isn’t comfortable and it certainly isn’t always fun.
Some days I have self doubt.
Other days I feel very insecure.
Lots of days I wonder if I’m wrong.
I’ve learned that I am responsible for my life and nobody else is. They are busy being responsible for theirs. We need to meet in the middle.
I used to stay quiet and keep my thoughts to myself. Now I curate them as carefully as I can (which lots of times isn’t enough), but i also know that it only takes one sentence to make big change. And sometimes I say it, other times someone else does. But we have to keep talking.
I’ve also learned that we are only one idea away from changing everything. The more ideas we explore, the better odds we have of finding “the one”.
And finally I’ve learned that safe isn’t always better. Safe is good for a while, but then it becomes constricting. Learning how to grapple between taking risks and feeling safe is a large part of the dance in life.
What I know for sure is that isolation isn’t the answer to a life well lived. I’ve already done that, and quite frankly you miss the best parts.