A Cynical Dreamer: Wisdom in Hesitation, Strength in Movement

There is a delicate balance between personal growth, resilience that comes with it while guarding yourself. You must also try to remain open to the world. It is easy to close yourself off and pull away — shut down and coast through your days while holding everyone and everything at arm’s length. Life’s challenges will season you. The hours spent in post-secondary education and post-graduate studies, with books, lectures, and papers, do not prepare you as much as experience does. There are things books cannot teach us, things we must learn through the wisdom gained from doing. Emotions and life’s trials are no different. Sometimes the challenge is not in the experience itself but in what can happen after. The challenge is to not be hardened. Instead, I must emerge stronger while being open, accepting, and adaptable.

You can take careful and intentional steps after a lesson in life while exploring life’s relationships and experiences openly. Continue to remain open to possibilities while still protecting yourself. Hesitancy is a reaction cultivated through hardships but the fear of losing something precious should not halt you in your tracks. It should not shadow your radiance or dampen your pursuit of discovery and growth. The scenic route prioritizes the journey over the destination. That destination is always changing — at least, that’s what I’ll tell myself.

Photo Credit Nate Rayfield from Unsplash