I remember writing a post some days ago on DARE TO BE DIFFERENT. That post embodies a lot of things for me and that’s because I have been trying to make out time for myself and trying to know me more. Sometimes, I think I know myself. I mean, that’s what people always say that no one knows us better than we know ourselves but I don’t think that is completely true. I have discovered some things about myself that was actually noticed by someone else first and that’s why, for slow living Sunday, I have taken out time to do a self introspection.
A lot of things have changed about me. Before these changes, I was very impatient with everything (I’m still a bit impatient but I’m really learning). I hardly ever think things through before acting. I just act on instinct and sometimes reflex. Luckily for me, not all my actions were wrong but most of them were. And even now, I still make those mistakes and at some point, I felt like a really bad person. A bad partner, a bad friend, a bad roommate, a bad daughter, a bad sibling and so much more. Nothing I did ever feels right. I’ll be like, here we are again, another mistake. I struggled to do better even though that was what I wanted to do.
Interestingly, I had this same feeling some weeks ago when my exams started. I wasn’t good enough, how am I going to do well in this examination, I asked myself. Well, I tried so hard to knock that thought off my head and thanks to someone who listened to me at that time, I regained this confidence in myself and because of that, I took out time even in the face of so many uncertainties to want to know what has changed and what is changing about me. I wanted to know this because I know even in my weakness I can be strong as long as I have recognized it. They say a problem shared is half solved but I think a known problem is half solved.
The only thing that kept coming to my mind was to keep striving to do the right thing even when it doesn’t make sense to me and others. I shouldn’t only do things because they make me happy because what makes me happy can be misleading too. As a minimalist, one of my goal is to be intentional about how I live and that’s because, I know there will come a time when I get tired of a particular routine or think what I’m doing is old fashioned and I’ll want to stop doing it.
I’m beginning to learn how to just hope for the best when it comes to things I can’t control and give my best also for the things I think I have control over. Making mistakes are not bad as long as I learn from it. Anytime I make a mistake, I always treat myself badly but not anymore. Instead, I’ll work on doing it right the next time and stay focused and be happy. I’ll keep taking one step at a time even when there might be room to take multiple steps. But one thing I won’t do is just stay without doing anything. It’s fine to go slow. Even the sloth, no matter how slow they think they are, they still get what they want and that’s because they didn’t stop trying just because they are too slow. They understood that their power is in their slowness.
Take time out to know yourself and make a new pattern that suit you. We all are not the same. Yes, some things might be similar but every one has one or two things that set them apart. Take it slow, being in a haste will only make you miss a lot of bad spots and sadly, it might be too late to stop. I know you think you can’t do anything again, you think it’s over but then, don’t forget you have life and that alone is hope that something can still be done. Being in a haste might only cause you to lose more time you thought you could save.
Thank you for reading through. 💜
Your twist that a known problem is half solved really hit me. Naming it makes it real, then you can track it and improve it, and honeslty that calms the urge to fix everything at once. Tiny wins add up quicker than my chai disappears :)
Staying intentional as a miNImalist is tough but that steady choice to do the right thing, even when it is not the easy happy one, compounds fast'.
I’m glad you spotted that! Thank you for your thoughtful input, Indiaguy. 🥰
It’s my pleasure. 🥰