As we become full-fledged adults (ack), it's a little scary how many choices we face each day, and how much power we have over the direction our lives. Obviously, life happens, and we cannot control every aspect. But on the whole, YOU get to choose where you want to live and how you want to spend your time. As I face these huge choices, I long for one thing: wisdom. Oh, glorious wisdom! I search for it by reading books and talking to people who have been through similar experiences (i.e. friends, family, mentors). Heck, I'll even trust complete strangers if I think they may have this coveted secret knowledge.
So what's the one huge flaw in all of this? Probably the fact that I want the vast wisdom of someone who has experienced a lifetime, but I want it now... as a 24-year-old ... who hasn't had that many life experiences. Silly Chelsea, don't you know that life's most meaningful lessons usually come from experience? From choices you made that either made you happy or unhappy? And often, it must be your own experiences, not somebody elses', that will teach you and mold you.
So here is to a life that is real and gritty. May we learn from every experience and choice, even if it is an unpleasant one. Let us not be afraid of making a wrong choice. Wisdom, knowledge, and growth take time. In the meantime, live!
"In Zen, there is nothing to explain, nothing to teach that will add to your knowledge. Unless it grows out of yourself, no knowledge is really of value to you, a borrowed plumage never grows." -- D.T. Suzuki
