Putting the Shoe on the other Foot.
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If I go out into my garden right now, I could pick literally endless points and positions to go stand and every single one of them is going to offer me a completely different view. Angles, perspectives and sights that no other position will give me… and the options of vantage points are practically infinite.
It is not really different for us as humans. Every single one of us has a completely unique experience of this life, comprised of different and varying details which is precisely what makes up “individuality” - not only in character, but in perspective and opinion too… as well as emotionally and psychologically.
As a young woman and not long after I got my first car, I unfortunately crashed it into a tree lol and it was a write off (Those were stoner days. Don’t ask haha) That car was a Volkswagen Beetle, because that was what I had begged my dad for (goodness only knows why, lol) - let’s just chalk it up to being young and dumb… 🙂
Anyway, after the accident my dad and I were both on the lookout for a new car for me. His hairdresser was apparently selling her little Daihatsu Charade and my dad wanted to take me to go have a look at it. “Oh my GAWD dad, it’s soooo FUGLY” I think was pretty much what came out of my mouth when I first laid eyes on it.
This is not my actual Daihatsu - but the closest example I could find, except mine was charcoal grey
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“Just give it a chance, love, because the engine will outlast the body of this little thing. Take it for a test drive and see what you think.”
I had only ever had my Beetle, which anybody who has owned and driven one will know, is probably one of the most uncomfortable and taxing cars to drive… but it was all I knew - for me, it was “safe” and I would have been happy to just get another one. Nonetheless, I took my dads advice and we got into the car and took it out for a test drive.
Well, I think it took all of one minute for me to do a complete 180 degree turnaround of opinion. Its hideous appearance was suddenly of absolutely no consequence to me and I was like “yes, yes, yes”. After driving the VW for several years, this thing felt like a Mercedes Benz by comparison haha!!
Just like that, it was a done deal - I had a new car, and a whole different outlook on something which I had judged severely just a moment before and the only reason that was possible was because I was willing to give it a chance and to experience “driving from a different seat”.
This principle can be applied to life and the encounters we have with the people around us. If you want to grow as a person then you have to be willing to look at things from different perspectives and try out different things. Entertain different opinions, listen to alternative options, explore, seek and open yourself up for expansion as a human being.
If you are always going to be adamant to dig your heels in the ground with regards to what you see, what you believe, what you feel, what you experience, what you know - then you are literally never going to go anywhere and you actually shut a lot of people out just by default.
I used to read a lot of non fiction books which offered plenty of “life advice” and opinion - not all of which resonated with me, but I developed a little bit of a phrase when it came to the information I was presented with within those pages… and that was, “Take from it what you will and leave the rest”. So that is what I did - and what I continue to do, not only with books but with life and experience too - the main thing being though, that I am actually receptive to giving things a chance in the first place. Whatever decision is made from that point forward will be whatever it will be.
When we open ourselves to different perspectives and experience, we enable ourselves to become more empathetic, compassionate and understanding - alongside broadening our personal horizons at the same time.
❤❤❤
Until next time...
Much Love from Country Bumpkinland, South Africa xxx
Jaynielea
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I wouldn't be so discreetly polite about the thing -- it was already ugly in the 80s, where it belonged... And they were comfortable, honestly?
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! "The Thing" :D
Well, more comfortable than a Beetle. lol.
That's not so difficult I guess ;-)) I've never sat in on. Not in a eastern german Trabant, too...
Yeah, VW did not set the bar very high with the bugs hahaha!!! Though I do still love them! The hippie in me I guess :D
Thank you very much @animal-shelter, I appreciate it very much! Have a lovely Friday!!