Sage Advice

In these days of social media, anyone can be a sage or a prophet or deep philosopher at the click of a button. Of course, the wisdom doesn’t come from the medium, but a life lived with intelligence and integrity. And the good news is that there are more people who are doing this than the daily news and polls would have us believe. I’ve saved many a comforting, insightful prose piece or poem from people I’ve never heard of and will probably not again. Though I feel gratefully far away from the conflict that challenged my serenity, this advice from a 65-year-old woman looking back on her life’s lessons and ahead to the next pathway to her well-earned peace speaks to me. My comments in italics. 

 

Protect your peace like it’s your property.

 

·      Not every argument needs your voice.

That’s a challenging one for me, but an intriguing thought that I don’t always have to solve the world’s problems! (Which, of course, I never have!) Figure it out yourself, people! I have a lake waiting for me.

 

·      Not every insult needs your response.

Tell that to my brain stem, poised for fight or flight! But yes, it’s often more their problem than mine and in bright moments, I might even feel an ounce of compassion for their misery that they’re trying to heap on me. No thanks— it’s yours, not mine. 

 

·      Not every relative deserves access to your emotions.

Interesting that she chose “relatives.” Don’t think mine care a fig for my emotions, but for the people I know in general, they don’t really need to know how I feel and most likely are not all that interested. 

 

Peace is expensive. Protect it from drama, negativity, and draining people — even if they're your close ones. 

A hearty yes to all of that! Who needs it? As I said, I got a class to teach and soon a lake to jump into.