Age old wisdom 2

So, a few weeks ago I turned older and wrote a few nuggets about what life has taught me http://phindelamuses.com/2019/03/23/age-old-wisdom/ and then the pressures took over. At my age I have learnt not to rush as my lessons from rush burns of the past still reflect on my life skin up to today.

As I walk this journey and I continue clocking the mileage I can only try to hand out what I think will help out someone not suffer the burns and stubbed toes I encountered. So, the age old wisdom continues:

Speed is not progress

I learnt this too late. I have learnt that speeding to life’s decisions doesn’t not always lead to the desired destination. In actual effect, I have learnt that unwise speed is a waste of energy.

In my early days as a driver I used to overtake vehicles in robot controlled intersections only to be stopped by a red light and only to have the overtaken vehicles sidle next to me at the stop with the drivers wearing smug smiles. I never learnt the lesson then.

Now that I am old I realize I wasted adrenaline, burnt more fuel , risked accidents and wasted rubber but achieved no advantage. I realize now, that rushed decisions are akin to racing between robot controlled intersections. You leave nobody behind.

Stretching hands rarely cramp

When we were young we found it difficult to share our food portions with visitors who would have arrived unannounced. But my mother would have none of it. Whatever was on the plate was meant to be part taken by all in the house irrespective of the number of the unscheduled guests. It always miffed us but no one could dare challenge our mother. https://phindelamuses.com/2011/05/08/to-our-mother/

It is only now that I have grown that I realize that the exercise in selflessness was a drive to a better world. She was teaching us to exorcise selfishness in exchange for selflessness.

I have since learnt in this life that when we help others achieve their dreams we help ourselves because arms that always stretch out rarely cramp.

Breath

I have learnt to breath. Where I would have verbally exhaled I now pause and calculate the benefits of what I want to say. Many a times I find myself saying it is ok, do not worry or let it slide.

There are battles that silence wins better than verbally tussling. There are wars that one would rather walk away from to avoid unnecessary emotional harm. Breathing under attack is akin to that time when one surfaces from under water to take in precious oxygen. Life saving.

Stopping to breath has made me realize missed things, it has made me hear unsaid things and made me know things that would have been missed in heated exchanges. Learning to breath in lieu of throwing fists has been educative to me.

Slow processor

I have always joked and pleaded that people bear with me as I have a slow processor. It is a half truth. All I would be trying to do is double processs what would be before me at a sedate pace and this life has taught me that sleeping over decisions and answers tends to yield more reasoned and sober outcomes than emotional knee jerk responses.

“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, he who rules his [own] spirit than he who takes a city.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:32‬ ‭AMPC‬‬

https://www.bible.com/8/pro.16.32.ampc

As I walk this journey I learn new things everyday and I pray the lessons help me to walk the remaining mileage with more wisdom, smiles and stretched hands.

To be continued…

#iamphindelasson

#brokenbutnotafraid