Life is full of surprises, some good, others not so great.  Living well is the ability to pass through today and into tomorrow with dignity and grace.  Ensuring an excellent tomorrow depends on how well we embrace today’s revealed lessons.  Life is all about choices, choosing to be other focused; choosing to accept the result of a poor choice; choosing to make better choices as past errors in judgment gifts us with their lessons.

The understanding of life shifts as experience expands the mind repainting the narrow misconceptions of childhood with the broader strokes of maturity.  Each of us begins life completely self-focused, unable to see beyond our own needs and feelings.  The value of others is taught by experiences.  Each interaction writes deeply into the softness of a child.  Every look, action and tone is soaked up by the little sponges.

The lack of maturity along with the self-focused slant to a child’s personality makes one prone to misinterpret experiences.  Evaluating the values leaned as a child, making sure they still make sense is difficult.  Often it is not until our life ceases to work; when we are finally forced to ask the question that we discover all the false assumptions we accepted as truth when but a child.

Forgiving past errors in judgment along with the downright bad choices can be a slow process.  Learning to live life with eyes wide open is a part of the healing process.  A willingness to see the hard things is a sign of maturity.

Understanding that living well requires maturity to view life through the eyes of love, allowing growth will take time and mistakes are only chances to grow.  Choosing to stay other focused knowing our choices affect for good or evil all those within our sphere of influence.