Youthful Life: X

"Painful as it may be, a significant emotional event can be the catalyst for choosing a direction that serves us - and those around us - more effectively. Look for the learning."  Louisa May Alcott We are all the main characters of our own life stories . What happens when we're not quite the protagonist and instead overrun by the supporting cast, the "Big Bad" villains, or the pervasive locale as its own character? We must be central to our own narratives AND we have to get out of own stories to realize that every single person has a story just as complex, full, and nuanced as ours. That's a bit difficult to wrap our heads around. If we are the center of our solar system with overlapping components from other celestial bodies then everyone else is also positioned as the center to their own galaxy and universes. How do we depart from our home star base to visit those of others around us? What does it take for us to get out of our own heads and to send out a s...

Truth - Curiosity is what keeps us exploring. There is this human need to learn more, try new things, and grow. Stagnancy is the antithesis of the human experience, and yet so often we find ourselves clinging to tradition, procedure, and the past. That internal struggle is a challenge for all of us to wrestle with constantly. Lose our inhibitions, be bold, and ask questions or to stick with what we know, remain comfortable, and secure our safety - those are our options. But aren't we meant to be curious?   "When you meet people, show real appreciation, then genuine curiosity" Martha Beck   What prevents us from talking to people we don't know? Is the fact that we don't know them that hinders us, or are there other reasons for our apprehension. Thinking of all the times we strike up conversations with random people - what is the common denominator in all those conversations? We share an experience. It's those moments when something outrageous happens ...