Wisdom to know what I can and can’t change and to value unconditional love

Share a lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life.

I wish I had the wisdom to know and accept what I can and can’t change in my life. I wish I had gained that wisdom a long time ago, as it would have saved me a lot of heartache and pain.  But then again I have gained that wisdom through experience, so I have learned well. I wish I could be in my 20s again with the wisdom I have now, but I appreciate the life experience that I have had to bring me to where I am now..

One lesson I have learned that is valuable is the experience of unconditional love ❤️.  The love of a child or a pet is the most beautiful 😍 pure love that exists.  It is only through human heartache that we come to love ❤️ and appreciate 🙏🏽 unconditional love.  The love I share with Lily is the most wonderful and pure love that exists. Unconditional love is a gift from God.

“Some people are so poor all they have is 💰 money”.

I saw this quote on a YouTube clip about a kind person who saw a homeless dog looking lovingly at toys in a vending machine and decided to get one of those toys out of the claw machine for the dog who obviously had never had a toy of their own.  This boy was not wealthy but decided to do whatever it took to make this precious little dog happy.

I too resonate with this quote because I am by no means financially well off, but i am rich in terms of relationships with friends and family etc.  Most of my family and friends are financially secure and  are kind thoughtful people who see me as their equal and treat me in a very caring manner  showing love empathy ❤️ and compassion.   I am rich in terms of relationships and feel that God has blessed me in many ways.

I think of that boy, who spent what he had to make that little dog 🐕 happy and know I would do the same,  particularly because of the love my own little dog 🐕 gives me.

Some people are just empty in their life and try and fill the void with money, thinking that will make them happy. Money doesn’t buy happiness, and some of the financially poor people on this earth are the happiest 💕 because of the love that surrounds them.  Having lots of money doesn’t guarantee you a good life.  I have learned to live simply and within my means, and I show my loved 😍 ones how much I love and appreciate them. My life is full to the brim with love ❤️ from those around me.  I pray 🙏🏽 for those who are so poor all they have is money 💰 and hope that life will teach them that money isn’t everything in this world.  It is love and goodwill and sharing that make the world 🌎 go round. I may not have money but have love and faith in God  to enrich my life beyond the craving for money.

A blessing and a curse.

I would describe my mental health issues and my good memory as both a blessing and a 🤬 curse.

Some people in my life, who aren’t that educated, think that having a mental illness is the worst thing ever, but I beg to differ. My experience of mental health issues has taught me a lot about life and has made me a wiser,  more empathic, and compassionate person.  I can see behind the mask that some people wear in their interactions with the 🌎 world.  I work hard on showing empathy and compassion 🙏🏽.  My faith keeps me grounded and optimistic about life.  If I am faced with a choice of being reactionary or pausing before reacting, I nearly always choose to wait rather than react.

I do have a good mind, although some uneducated people think my mind is damaged 💔 😢 but I also have a great memory.   This great memory can be a curse because I know and I remember all the circumstances that cause the onset of each period of mental illness occurring in my life.  For my own stability, I know to put those memories and incidents out of my mind and use mindfulness as a positive way of achieving that. If I focused on the memories that cause me to become unwell I would never get well. I can’t change the past, but I can make sure I am a better person in the present and future sense. I’ve learned to live with my issues and see the glass as being half full.  Mental illness is most definitely not a curse, but a blessing in disguise because it allows us to examine what it actually is that makes us tick, it makes us develop skills of understanding what makes us unique and better people. It means that I consciously think before I act.  It is a skill that I have developed over time and keeps me well 99% of the time. There has to be a particular set of circumstances occurring in my life that bring about my issues and I spend 100% of my time being conscious of my mind, my feelings and my reactions.  Not easy to achieve but possible to achieve if you are prepared and willing to make the effort.

How do I relax?

How do you relax?

I am relaxing right at the moment. I am lying on the couch 🛋 with Lily and a cup of coffee ☕️ in my pyjamas.  Saturday is my lazy pyjama day and Lily spends the day with me lying on the couch whilst I write ✍️ this blog,  read a book or talk to loved ones on the phone. It is a way of using mindfulness that maintains my mental health.  Lily is a big part of my good mental health. She is my constant companion and best friend 🧡.  I love these lazy Saturday mornings 🌄.