OT: A Reading on Sharing
A friend of mine posted this on the Over Fifty Forum, but I thought I would like to share it here. It is very fitting for the OH Community.
Sharing our experiences heightens our joy and lessens out pain.
Not letting other people know what's troubling us cause the problem to trouble us even more. "Secrets keep us stuck," say the wise ones on our journey.
Sharing what's on our mind with a friend or sponsor gives that person an opportunity to help us develop a better perspective. On the other hand, staying isolated with our worries exaggerates them.
Staying isolated with our joys isn't helpful either. It minimizes them, thus cheating us out of feeling their full thrill. We deserve joy in our lives – lots of it – because we will have our full measure of pain. Perhaps we fear others will criticize us for being braggarts if we sing forth our joy. But our real friends will sing right along with us. Our joys are deserved; they offset our trials. Telling others about both will let all our experiences count for something.
I will remain open to my friends today, sharing both my worries and my joys.
Sharing our experiences heightens our joy and lessens out pain.
Not letting other people know what's troubling us cause the problem to trouble us even more. "Secrets keep us stuck," say the wise ones on our journey.
Sharing what's on our mind with a friend or sponsor gives that person an opportunity to help us develop a better perspective. On the other hand, staying isolated with our worries exaggerates them.
Staying isolated with our joys isn't helpful either. It minimizes them, thus cheating us out of feeling their full thrill. We deserve joy in our lives – lots of it – because we will have our full measure of pain. Perhaps we fear others will criticize us for being braggarts if we sing forth our joy. But our real friends will sing right along with us. Our joys are deserved; they offset our trials. Telling others about both will let all our experiences count for something.
I will remain open to my friends today, sharing both my worries and my joys.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!
George,
Thank you for posting this.
Staying isolated with our joys isn't helpful either. It minimizes them, thus cheating us out of feeling their full thrill. We deserve joy in our lives – lots of it – because we will have our full measure of pain. Perhaps we fear others will criticize us for being braggarts if we sing forth our joy. But our real friends will sing right along with us. Our joys are deserved; they offset our trials. Telling others about both will let all our experiences count for something.
This section rang a bell with me - I stopped posting my WOW's and NSV's some time ago because I overheard someone saying it really upset them that their journey wasn't going so well and it made them feel bad about themselves when they would read about others accomplishments. I don't thrive on attention so it was no biggie to me, but praise is something that we can never get enough of. When I have something to share - that I NEED to share - I usually do it via text or PM because I'm afraid of discouraging a newbie (or even a not so newbie) if they aren't experiencing the great success that I have been SOOOOO very lucky to experience.
But what I wonder now is that if (a) I've cheated myself out of some of those atta-girls that I've worked so hard for; and (b) have I withheld some small little success that would have given a newbie that small glimmer of hope early out when they are at the WTH have I done stage?
Thank you for posting this.
Staying isolated with our joys isn't helpful either. It minimizes them, thus cheating us out of feeling their full thrill. We deserve joy in our lives – lots of it – because we will have our full measure of pain. Perhaps we fear others will criticize us for being braggarts if we sing forth our joy. But our real friends will sing right along with us. Our joys are deserved; they offset our trials. Telling others about both will let all our experiences count for something.
This section rang a bell with me - I stopped posting my WOW's and NSV's some time ago because I overheard someone saying it really upset them that their journey wasn't going so well and it made them feel bad about themselves when they would read about others accomplishments. I don't thrive on attention so it was no biggie to me, but praise is something that we can never get enough of. When I have something to share - that I NEED to share - I usually do it via text or PM because I'm afraid of discouraging a newbie (or even a not so newbie) if they aren't experiencing the great success that I have been SOOOOO very lucky to experience.
But what I wonder now is that if (a) I've cheated myself out of some of those atta-girls that I've worked so hard for; and (b) have I withheld some small little success that would have given a newbie that small glimmer of hope early out when they are at the WTH have I done stage?
Jodie - please don't stop posting!!!
I don't have that many atta-girl's myself and really enjoy reading others. Even though my journey has been longer than most (was a very slow loser), it gives me pleasure to hear other's progress and know what may lie ahead for me...
Don't cheat yourself out of those moments - even lurkers like me enjoy reading them!
I don't have that many atta-girl's myself and really enjoy reading others. Even though my journey has been longer than most (was a very slow loser), it gives me pleasure to hear other's progress and know what may lie ahead for me...
Don't cheat yourself out of those moments - even lurkers like me enjoy reading them!
Lisa from Texas - Go Aggies Go!!!
Before/atWLS/Current
313/290/150
I posted this for that very reason. I have been doing the same. I am fortunate enough that I have Mary to share my WOW moments with. But really, we all deserve all the pats on the back we can get. WLS was not the easy way out, but for most of us, the ONLY way out.
And (b) is certainly something we need to keep in mind. That newbie can see those posts and say "That will be me in six months, or nine months."
And (b) is certainly something we need to keep in mind. That newbie can see those posts and say "That will be me in six months, or nine months."
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!
George, thank you for sharing this post - a friend of mine is going through a rough time and you never know who needs to hear a message when you put it out there. I have shared this with her in the hope that it will remind her I'm here as a friend and to listen when she needs an ear.
Great timing!
Great timing!
Lisa from Texas - Go Aggies Go!!!
Before/atWLS/Current
313/290/150
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