Take What You Need And Leave The Rest

By

A few years ago, my friend gave me some life advice.  She told me, take what you need from people and leave the rest.  Eat what you want, you don’t need to finish the food on your plate. If someone is giving you advice, take it with a grain of salt.  Everyone will listen to what you are telling him or her and apply it to his or her own life. They will immediately think of how they would react in that situation.  Maybe your friend’s advice isn’t the thing you need to hear.

Travellers also use this concept to increase their own karma. You see it in a lot of global village mentalities.  People look after themselves in order to further their journey. They take experiences, they take pictures, and they take opportunities to the fullest.  If there is something that doesn’t suit them, they let it go.

With regards to little things, like day-to day-annoyances, we do this automatically. We support each other through it.  We say, “don’t worry about that co-worker, don’t carry her hate with you, just let it go.” We teach people to brush off little hurts, to stay positive, and to turn the other cheek.

I don’t know why this changes when it comes to bigger things in life.  Jobs, relationships, family. For the big things we say, “don’t let it go, stick it out.” We advise each other to look at the big picture. We warn each other that we’ve made a commitment.

You aren’t allowed to bounce from one thing to another. As if life were a house, and the experiences you have when you are of a certain age are all had in the bouncy castle in the backyard. You’re allowed to bounce, but only in the castle.  You can only have 30 minutes and then you have to join the party inside the house. You have to do your hair and put on your party dress and learn how to walk in heels.

No heels in the bouncy castle. It might deflate.

Did you know there are a million bouncy castles in the world that no one even knows about? They are thick skinned and can handle stilettos.  I didn’t know either. I am on a mission to find them now.