Isn't it kind of neat that the older you become especially if you're living on your own you start to really form true-to-self likes and dislikes? When you're a child, of course there are things that you naturally enjoy and would prefer to do, but that wasn't always left up to you back then now was it? Of course not! It's typically up to your parent or guardian to deem what's best for you or determine the best plan for the entire family. Compromise is vital in bigger families. Growing up as the eldest sister in my family of five, I would bend and break a little if it meant my younger sisters were happy. Other times, my parents would go with my ideas since my arguments were usually presented a bit more reasonably- or at least until my sisters became old enough to argue back. Honestly though, who am I kidding? My parents are both Leos.....the ball was and still remains in their court. In case you haven't noticed, Leos usually call just about all of the shots. I take that back...all of the shots. I can sense that some Leo somewhere would've definitely wanted me to rephrase that.
Leos love to have a big time. That being said, everything we did as a family growing up was exhilarating! Roller coasters, haunted houses, tropical getaways, white water rafting, huge concerts, horseback riding, road trips, swimming with dolphins... you name it! My childhood was an absolute blast. I am extremely blessed, and beyond grateful for such wonderful memories through my early years. Memories that will last a lifetime and I will cherish forever. In retrospect, i'm so thankful my parents had me when they were on the younger side. Not only did they have an obscene amount of energy, but they've also always been my best friends! Disclaimer- I talk about my Dad in present tense a lot because he will always be here. He’s just not physically here anymore. That is why it is up to me to physically do, see, and experience things that maybe he didn’t know if he enjoyed or not, because he never got to experience them for himself. It is also up to me to experience new things solely for myself! I owe myself that much, and you owe yourself the same!
If we continue through life doing and acting on what we already know, where is the fun? Yes, all of the things I listed that were fun from my childhood still are fun as an adult, but they’re not new! I am someone who is completely fixated on progression, in the best way possible. I can’t stand to be complacent. I want to be growing, learning, and progressing as a person continuously. In every aspect of life! It’s important for me, in my own life, to experience it all. The good, great, bad, weird, etc.. Experiencing new things means new feelings! To feel something that you have never felt before is one of life’s greatest treasures. It’s that much more special when it’s a happy feeling! It’s also a very accomplishing feeling when you try something new and find yourself delighted by what you’ve found! You’re getting to know yourself, and you should want to know yourself best! You are the only you, on a planet with almost 8 billion people. That alone is so special.
In my years thus far as an adult, I have recently taken a liking to art museums! I am someone who thinks endlessly, and needs creative ways to channel and release my inner thoughts. Based on how exciting my childhood was, I never in a million years thought I would be someone who enjoyed art museums. When I look back, I think I only ever heard “museum” and not “art”. Art is subjective, expressive, and progressive! Museums sounded outright boring to me as a kid. My thought process was something along the lines of “Why would anyone want to go to a museum to learn more, when we already learn eight hours a day, five days a week, ten months out of the year?”. That is until I got a little older and realized there are different types of museums. I now see how close-minded that thought process was, but my little energetic, fun-seeking, childhood self didn’t know any better!
I love gazing at the pictures, paintings, and sculptures. So much so, that I could do it for hours. I like finding symbolism in the imagery of the picture, while making a subjective correlation to my own life. I was in Boston recently, when I stumbled upon a cute little hole-in-the-wall art gallery. The second I saw the rabbits pictured above, my entire body felt warm from the tip of my head to the very bottom of my heels. It felt like there was a ball of sunshine radiating from my chest. When I feel these euphoric, breathtaking vibrations, my entire body starts to buzz. It is in these moments- these spectacularly raw, simplistic moments in life that I feel I am in the exact right place at the exact right time. Even if the situation of relativity isn’t one of the happiest. You are still learning and growing. Sometimes the seeds have to taste the fertilizer before they ever bloom to their full potential.
That day I had gotten negative and uninterested feedback on something blog related, and my first reaction was wallow in the sadness. As I gazed at the rabbits in a somber, detached mood, I couldn't feel sad. As strange as it sounds, it felt like they were staring into my soul, telling me "It's going to be ok..". They brought me peace that day. The more I thought about what had just happened, I realized that it needed to happen. I needed to feel upset about this because the universe was signaling to me that I need to be my biggest fan. I need to not put so much energy into being justified in my sadness of somebody else not liking my work. Because I like my work. I carried on about my day feeling breezy and released from the emotional “rabbit” hole of thoughts that somebody else's disapproval was planning to send me down. It’s a shame I never got the artist’s name because these pieces were beautiful and meant so much to me! Rabbits symbolize prosperity, abundance, and good luck! Seeing these rabbits, and relating their symbolism to my present situation couldn't have happened more timely. It was abstract, interesting, and oddly brought me comfort.
Trying something new, getting into something new, led me to experience a new feeling. A sense of independence in my self worth. If I don’t believe in me most, who will? We as humans need to take what other humans have to say or believe about us with a grain of salt. After all, the more you know someone, the less you know them. I learned something that day, though. I felt something I had never felt before. These are the moments in life that are simply priceless. Receiving positive affirmation through a new experience you decided to give a try, are the moments worth living for. With that being said- I encourage you to try something new this week. Get to know yourself better and go experience something out of the ordinary. Step out of your comfort zone and go do something random you would’ve never done growing up! Maybe you loved museums, but your family just never got around to that amusement park that was seven hours away. Go see it for yourself. Maybe you hate it.. that’s good! That’s the entire point. Let's say rollercoasters come up at the next small gathering you’re at- you now have talking points. You can express to everyone how much you hate them and how sick they make you because you know that about yourself now! Or, maybe you’ll love it. Who knows, maybe you’ll ponder the circle of life the next time you’re on the Wheel of Fire. Whatever it is you choose to do, enjoy every second, and stay from rabbit holes!
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