Positive Quote: “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.” — George Washington Carver
When I was much younger, I was neither compassionate nor sympathetic. In fact, in quite a few cases I probably was as far opposite as you could get. At the time I would say I was a realist or that people had to earn my respect or even that people had to take care of themselves. In short, I was extremely jaded.
I had lived a very difficult life growing up and did not have many (if any) positive role models in my early life. I can remember times in my life as a child where I did not know where my next meal or roof over my head would come from. I ran away from home more times that I can count. I was a pretty screwed up child and could not come to terms with the cycle of abuse that was going on with my life. I felt abandoned by so many in authority, because it was the word of a child versus that of an adult and some wounds you could not see.
Thankfully, I started seeing the world as being more than myself. It did not happen overnight and I continue to be a work in progress. It happened little by little. Regretfully, it wasn’t until my mid 20’s that I started to see that others had issues, suffering, pain, and hardships. Thankfully, by that time I had escaped my past and cut the cord to the point where I have not seen my mother since I was 14. It is a choice, and over the years I ask myself if it is the right one. For me, it is.
For the longest time I thought that work and a career was the main driving force in life. I threw myself into work and it did not let me down. I learned and went up and down the career ladder, sometimes even sideways. Yet, I did not feel complete, something was missing. I was not contributing to the betterment of the world. Cheesy, I know. Yet, it gnawed at me.
I have to come to find an inner peace as I help others. The help can come in various ways. We (my family) donate to a handful of different charities, we donate items we no longer need or want to others, we have volunteered at different organizations, and I am on a United Way allocation panel. Do I think I am doing enough? No….. however, I know I am making a difference.
Hence, I strive to be tolerant and compassionate of others. If given the choice, I would rather help someone than stand by and see them suffer or hurt. I have also learned, you can only help those who are willing to accept it and want to help themselves.
Whew… who knew that this particular quote would reach into my soul? I have stopped and re-read what I have written, I have contemplated deleting it all and picking a different quote. Yet, I know deep down that being vulnerable helps me grow and what can be more vulnerable than this? So here goes….. I am posting away.
Have a great Tuesday y’all.
Priscilla
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