learning

A sad and inevitable fact of life is that the most meaningful knowledge and wisdom often come from experience, pain, and loss of innocence. It is rare to gain significant insight without there being a painful catalyst...in fact, for many, introspection doesn't come even then. I envy them. Over the past few years, I've learned a lot about myself, my motivations, my wants, my needs, my wishes. And while I wouldn't trade that knowledge, and I am glad for what I've gained, I mourn the loss of innocence and naïveté. Even when the lessons learned have helped me get closer to who I would like to be, there is still a part of me that knows that ignorance is bliss.

Another side effect of this 'knowledge of self' is that you become more discerning...you learn what is important to you, what you will and won't compromise on. Again, this is a brilliant thing to know about yourself, but it has its flip side: it means that your criteria have narrowed, making it harder to find matches. Jobs, friends, food, love, places to live...everything is affected by the 'narrowing down' of likes and dislikes. Again, not a bad thing...it keeps you from accepting less than you deserve, it helps you recognize when you are not content, hopefully gives you the ability to see what is healthier for you. There are a lot of advantages to the self-awareness that comes from paying attention to the lessons life has to give.

So how do you not let knowledge gained make you jaded, tired, and cynical as time wears on?