| Being a Student |
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| Thursday, 07 October 2004 00:00 | |||
 Since we started on this journey I have learned more than I ever did in school and so much more about myself than I ever thought possible. Aside from the obvious additional knowledge about some of the geography and history acquired from traveling to different places, I have learned about living life itself. I have learned that every day is special and each one brings a new lesson, which we should embrace and be grateful for. I have learned that people; friends, acquaintances and strangers, are very special and under their skin, they are all the same regardless of where they come from or what they do. What we say and what we do can have an immeasurable impact on one person, which can in turn, affect thousands. I have learned to value my children, my friends and my family. Their uniqueness is no longer overlooked or taken for granted and I am grateful to have them in my life. I have learned that material wealth is not significant, has no meaningful value and that we put way too much importance on it. The more we have doesn't mean we will have more happiness in our lives and often it creates more problems. After all, we can only wear one pair of shoes at a time, drive one vehicle at a time and eat one mouthful at a time. The more you give to others, the more fulfilled you will become and the happier your life will be.
I have learned that the most important quality we possess is our ability to forgive others and ourselves. When we hold a grudge or hang on to an ill will, we are imprisoned by that event, letting it fester inside us. Until we are able to forgive, that feeling will eventually cause us to become physically or emotionally sick while the person we harbour the grudge against goes through their life oblivious to our pain. Forgiving ourselves is even more difficult, but in order to grow spiritually, it is a task we must master.
This journey we are on is a learning adventure and one I relish. Change is vital for growth of any kind and I am grateful to have discovered that before I was unable to do anything about it. Every night I say a little prayer in gratitude for what I have, what I've learned and for where I have been and I ask to never take any of it for granted. We are all merely students on this earth and learning about living is more important than any subject taught within the confines of a classroom. It's unfortunate that more people didn't study life and it's value; perhaps then poverty and war could be eliminated.
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