The simplest lessons in life are often the hardest. In theory we may be familiar with things like humility, equanimity, grace, magnanimity of spirit, simplicity. When it's time to demonstrate, we surprise ourselves when we fall short. It's easy to believe you're the best you can be, easy to be lost in your own mind. Easy to think you have all the answers. Easy to believe you're always in the right. Easy to feel misunderstood. Easy to feel wronged. Easy to take offence readily and extremely easy to blame others for everything always. Easy to feel victimized. It's hard to find out the truth about yourself. It's hard to maintain your grace and composure on your worst day. It's hard to smile when all your insides are screaming at you to let it all out and cry the thing off. It's hard to step off your self erected pedestal and see what you're actually doing and see that you may actually be wrong. Pride comes easy. Humility wrought by understanding, comes for a price. A price we often would've never paid, had we known. When you're still reeling from the aftershock of the payment, it's a little disconcerting when you realise you've learnt your lesson and there's a lot of time ahead (probably) to apply that learning. There are somethings in life that should never be lost. Walk a mile in another man's shoes before judging him. How simple and true. Yet why do we always need to experience something to actually understand it. With all the options we have for living, which do we choose?
