Perspective

First things first....I love fireworks! I am going to start by giving a brief update on my 4th Festivities. So, my friend Autumn and I spent all of Saturday night grocery shopping, and making all sorts of food (pasta salad, fruit salad, sancwich stuff, guac, cookies, rice krispie treats, etc., etc, etc. Needless to say, we ended up having loads of food. Then on Sunday, we headed down to Lake Michigan around noon to get a good spot for the fireworks that night. We are crazy, but that is the only way to claim a decent place to view the beautiful fireworks. We had such a great day, and it was nice to sit and relax with fun people. Then the next morning, Trent surprised me by coming home from his trip 4 days early. I heard this knocking around 8 AM, and found him on my doorstep. I thought I was dreaming, which could have been possible, or I was just really hung over. Either way, it was a nice surprise, and I am so happy to have him back. He was only gone a week, and a half, but it felt like longer. I mean, we went 9 months, but I can't even handle two weeks now! AAHHH!!

In other news, I have been contemplating a lot of my own perspectives. The reasons behind why I get upset if someone does something that I think is stupid, wrong, rude, etc. I was discussing this issue with my friend Autumn, and she said that I need to read a book called "The 4 Agreements" because one of the agreements discusses that very issue. I have yet to read the book (it's on the way), but I did a little research and the basic overview of this particular belief is as follows:

Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

I am now going to try and live every day with this idea in mind because what I'm starting to realize is that not everyone believes what I do, or views things the very same way (yes, I am very self-centered and stubborn). I truly want to be able to listen to someone else's opinion with an open mind, and know in the end that whether or not we end up on the same page.....that's OK! Because of social conditioning, the way we were brought up, and other variables each person is truly unique in their own reality. The challenge for me will be to listen to others perceptions, and not feel defensive. Hopefully once I start reading this book, I will better understand the concepts, and be more able to explain this further. For now, I am trying to be cognizant of what my actions say and mean to other people, and TRULY try to understand others' realities.