My dad used to freak out when we told him how certain foods were made; “I DON’T WANT TO KNOW WHAT GOES INTO THE FOOD!” I thought this was weird then, and I still do. I also don’t get the people who wazz out when food touches on a plate … I just don’t get it. But it’s not my circus and those concerns aren’t my monkeys -- their reasons are their reasons and it doesn’t really matter why, what or who; if you want to have your day ruined because your corn touched your potatoes, that’s fine.
I’m really trying to figure out what battles I should fight or expend emotions on. If something really doesn’t have anything to do with me and really won’t affect my life, should I be concerned? We all have strong opinions on different topics - politics, sports, vaccinations - but at the end of the day, is it worth (me) losing sleep on whether I strongly believe one thing or another that doesn’t affect my life at all?
Should I lay in bed freaking out about stuff? No, because sleep is important. Strong beliefs are fine. It means you’re engaged in the bigger solutions. There are a lot of things in this world that could be better; and healthy, educated dialog helps to drive our collective journey in whatever direction. (… honestly, this statement gives me pause because “being right” is important to my ego, and I feel defeated when I find out that I was completely wrong BUT as I continue to evolve and wake up -- I find this happening more and more … sigh …)
As I age, I need to continually appreciate the wisdom of patience and compassion and only weigh in when appropriate. I need to be asking (myself) how my voice or action will contribute positively to a conclusion. Sometimes, silence is good and sometimes debate is warranted. Grace is knowing when.
