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Daily Question, June 30

How has my interpretation of life’s experiences changed through the years?

  • TofuLove
    I guess as I've had setbacks it's changed my optimism levels, when you are young you sort of feel you can do anything ... I still mostly have that tendency, always a sense that I can accomplish anything but especially given the recent situation of heartbreak romantically, where the guy I'd had a crush on for years is totally in love and even wants to propose to her ... I'm adjusting, in a transitional period of lowered confidence haha. So in some ways where I'd interpret things much more positiv...

    I guess as I’ve had setbacks it’s changed my optimism levels, when you are young you sort of feel you can do anything … I still mostly have that tendency, always a sense that I can accomplish anything but especially given the recent situation of heartbreak romantically, where the guy I’d had a crush on for years is totally in love and even wants to propose to her … I’m adjusting, in a transitional period of lowered confidence haha. So in some ways where I’d interpret things much more positive or harmless before, I’ve become more negative at times.

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  • Malag

    My threat level was high when I was younger. Now it’s lower. I lived more in distraction. Now I am more present to life’s experience. I thought that I was broken. Now I see less to fix and more to appreciate.

  • Elizabeth
    I am young, and so am innocent to life's experiences, but I find that I have experienced much and often reflect on life. When my brother was diagnosed with a brain tumor and went to the hospital 2 years ago, it was a difficult time and I have often reflected on before, during, and after his diagnosis and that month living in the hospital. It was lifechanging for everyone around us, and I found that my whole view on life changed. I hope to experience more and life a full life, so as to reflect an...

    I am young, and so am innocent to life’s experiences, but I find that I have experienced much and often reflect on life. When my brother was diagnosed with a brain tumor and went to the hospital 2 years ago, it was a difficult time and I have often reflected on before, during, and after his diagnosis and that month living in the hospital. It was lifechanging for everyone around us, and I found that my whole view on life changed. I hope to experience more and life a full life, so as to reflect and interpret my life’s up’s and down’s.

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  • Pooja Sehrawat
    My life has been a roller coaster rides with numerous highs and lows which made me a wise lady of today. Few years ago, my interpretation of life was totally different which gradually transformed to optimistic. I used to crib about every adversities that came across and blamed myself or others for it. But, now when I look back and reflect, I realise that my struggle through challenges made me stronger and wiser. I interpret life experiences more optimistically and sail them sensibly . I understa...

    My life has been a roller coaster rides with numerous highs and lows which made me a wise lady of today. Few years ago, my interpretation of life was totally different which gradually transformed to optimistic. I used to crib about every adversities that came across and blamed myself or others for it. But, now when I look back and reflect, I realise that my struggle through challenges made me stronger and wiser. I interpret life experiences more optimistically and sail them sensibly . I understand that every experience have a reason to make you a better person and I truly believe that, how you sail through your challenges and spring through adversities, defines what you are!

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  • Don Jones

    From separation towards a single view. Looking from I, to the eye of the I.

  • Hot Sauce
    Before I was 13, I viewed the world through a lens of naivete and fundamentalist beliefs. After that, there was a time period where I struggled with God's forgiveness of me and wondered if I could ever be worthy of it. As I began to grow in awareness, however, that my views about biblical infallibility were no longer helpful to me, I began to believe that I was worthy of forgiveness, but I was no longer sure about what my religious beliefs were. In the next stage of my journey, I began to grow i...

    Before I was 13, I viewed the world through a lens of naivete and fundamentalist beliefs. After that, there was a time period where I struggled with God’s forgiveness of me and wondered if I could ever be worthy of it. As I began to grow in awareness, however, that my views about biblical infallibility were no longer helpful to me, I began to believe that I was worthy of forgiveness, but I was no longer sure about what my religious beliefs were. In the next stage of my journey, I began to grow interested in deeper, esoteric spiritual practices, yet I also began to grow more confused about the purpose of life and what I should be doing. When I started college, however, I learned some essential spiritual practices from different religions for discerning one’s personal and collective callings in life. Since I started graduate school, I have been employing these practices to help me to discern certain questions I now have about interpersonal forgiveness and forgiveness in the afterlife that I am wrestling with.

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  • I am not so afraid of suffering anymore. this is a gift I did not know that existed! with less fear of suffering I feel my circle of possibilities has become so much vaster. to stand up for what is truthful and right, to stand with people in the corner, to be able to risk for what is worth risking, all this is possible now. I am grateful for these teachings and everyday I pray for those who taught me and teach me.

  • Zenith

    Gratitude is changing how I see everything. I hope I am becoming more compassionate toward myself and life. Viewing each moment as it unfolds as an opportunity to accept whatever it holds. I am still unfolding myself. I am learning to be grateful for everything.

  • Carol

    It took me years and years to realize that when you are willing to “cast your bread” upon the waters, sometimes is comes back buttered, sometimes it comes back soggy and sometimes it doesn’t come back at all. I’m so thankful that today I can work with and grow from all the options.

  • Present Moment

    In the past, I modified or hid my true nature from others,.fearing censure.
    These days, my home in existential reality allows me to be more open about who I have always been.

  • Katrina

    My interpretation of life’s experiences has changed based on the filters of experience itself…study, relationships, hurts, grief, joys, love, resolved fears, healed injuries and diseases…all of that determines where I see and how I read my current life situation.

  • pkr

    I have become more accepting.
    I have become more grateful.
    I have become more love & light. ✨

  • Howie Geib
    When I was a kid, up until high school, life was something to be endured in many ways. I was so lost, clueless about the way life worked and how I fit in. I was in a sense waiting. I was sent away to school, and immediately loved it there. And soon I realized that it was going to be over in four years and I was going to go to college so I had to get as much out of that four years as I could, so life became something I had to consume and be in each and every moment savoring the experiences as me...

    When I was a kid, up until high school, life was something to be endured in many ways. I was so lost, clueless about the way life worked and how I fit in. I was in a sense waiting.

    I was sent away to school, and immediately loved it there. And soon I realized that it was going to be over in four years and I was going to go to college so I had to get as much out of that four years as I could, so life became something I had to consume and be in each and every moment savoring the experiences as memories to hold on to.

    Then life became something I had to survive. It seemed like I was surrounded by threats, real or imagined, and had to toughen up and learn how to fight.

    Then I became a steward. Life was a conduit, a path. I was a pilgrim and had to carry as little as possible.

    So some days I wake up and find myself in one of these interpretations, they are roles I know and have played for years with some skill. But, now I know they are roles I pick up and put down, Nothing I am a victim about. I choose them.

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  • Julian Daal Childers

    What I once seen as a curse or weakness is now seen as opportunity to help others

  • Cathy

    As I age, I notice less inclination to judge quickly. Deeming something ‘right or wrong,’ ‘good or bad,’ ‘healthy or unhealthy’ is more of a learning process for me now than it was 30 years ago. Life’s experiences have taught me that it is not always “what you see is what you get.”

  • Pilgrim

    Having lived these many years, my story has become ever more nuanced and I continue to evolve in my understanding and realization that others’ lives are also so, each of us an ongoing “becoming”.

  • devy
    It has really only within the past year that m’y interpretation of life’s experiences has changed. I used to be hurt, angry blame myself and or others for my bad experiences that often led to me to suffer with anxiety and or depression. My self worth was affected. I would compare, criticize and judge myself and others. Now I try to look at these negative times as lessons, something to grow. I realize that to expect to always have good times is unrealistic. Life is like riding a wave in the ...

    It has really only within the past year that m’y interpretation of life’s experiences has changed. I used to be hurt, angry blame myself and or others for my bad experiences that often led to me to suffer with anxiety and or depression. My self worth was affected. I would compare, criticize and judge myself and others. Now I try to look at these negative times as lessons, something to grow. I realize that to expect to always have good times is unrealistic. Life is like riding a wave in the ocean. It will have it’s ups and downs but it still travels on. The skill is to accept this wave as an experience, to let it dissipate like the circles of waves after one throws a pebble in a pond.. to stop the self criticizing, holding anger against people. THese reactions are self destructive. Learning that we are responsible for our own emotions and stop the negativity. Move on, count our blessings,accept what is happening and our short comings. Accepting that we are all unique. THere was, there is and there will be only one of us. And we are AWESOME ?

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    • Maria

      I love what you wrote as I can relate to every word. I am still struggling with self worth but find comfort and encouragement in your words. Thank you.

  • Michele

    Sadly, I found out that people you thought you could absolutely trust you can’t. Trust is earned and when it is broken it is so damaging. It takes it’s toll. On a positive note, there will always be good people and random acts of kindness to balance everything out:)

    • Howie Geib

      Trust…and its companion betrayal, are exacting teachers for me. Betrayal with a bitter taste that, like medicine, can heal, as it has a meaning I often have to be reminded of by my teachers: betrayal is also revelation. The lowering tide reveals and betrays the shoals off shore.

  • alchemilla

    I try not to take my suffering as a sign of personal failure. I try to offer myself and others more compassion for the way we live our lives.

  • Lioness
    When I was younger I took experiences to heart, I wondered what I had done to deserve such heartache, why was my family suffering, I didn't understand it. I had a motto 'life always gets worse before it gets better, but it will always get better'. I thought this motto would prepare me for bad things while giving me some hope too. But I had a habit of always thinking the worse too. When my sister died at the age of 26, leaving behind 3 girls, it could have been easy not to see any positives. But ...

    When I was younger I took experiences to heart, I wondered what I had done to deserve such heartache, why was my family suffering, I didn’t understand it. I had a motto ‘life always gets worse before it gets better, but it will always get better’. I thought this motto would prepare me for bad things while giving me some hope too. But I had a habit of always thinking the worse too. When my sister died at the age of 26, leaving behind 3 girls, it could have been easy not to see any positives. But my sisters death brought about so many changes – my mum and her estranged sister got back in touch, my divorced parents stopped squabbling and even attended my wedding without fuss etc. I now always look for the positive in any seemingly negative situation. My motto now is ‘Life always gets better’ and I imagine good things and deal with bad things when they happen rather than imagining them first. it took me a long time to reach this place, but I am grateful that I got here.

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