The amazing things we can learn from the experiences of those older and wiser than us.
Many of you know my story from my first book, When I Stop Fighting. I was a younger dude, circling the drain of life and heading quickly down a very unforgiving and destructive path.
What might have happened if I listened to people older than me, including my parents, about the destructive nature of drinking and drugs?
What might have happened if I took to heart the advice regarding being honest, or not stealing, or not cheating?
At this point it doesn’t matter and I would honestly not change anything that has happened in my life, because I wouldn’t have the life I have now.
However, if you’re young (or not) and reading these words and you don’t want to head down a destructive path that you may not come back from, heed the words of those older and wiser. Try to understand that they may be speaking to you from experience, as I am.
Understand that they may have already gone down the path that you are currently embarking upon, and they know what lies on the other side of some of your decisions. Many don’t come back from their destructive lifestyles and their bad decisions. In fact, most don’t. Not that it necessarily kills them, but it can, and many times does, destroy them physically, mentally emotionally and spiritually. They become a shell of what they could be.
If people are fortunate enough to live to an age where they have experience and are consciously paying attention to what that experience has taught them, they are worth listening to. Not to mention, if you are fortunate enough to listen to them, you could save yourself a lot of trouble, pain, and heartache.
I understand that when we’re young we think everything we discover is the first time it’s been discovered in the history of mankind. Or, even more interesting, is that our experience of something is going to be very different because we obviously “know better.” I get it! I’ve been there. I’ve done it. I’m just here to announce that all of it is not true. Sorry.
I was fortunate to get my head out of my ass, well at least mostly, at a fairly young age. I was fortunate to have found a mentor that helped me embark upon a different path. I was fortunate that I understood that he knew a lot better than I did, because he’d been there. He’d done it. Now it was my turn to learn from his experiences. I am eternally grateful that I listened.
Since those early years I have had many people, I’d have to say thousands, come into and out of my life. There are very few who I could classify as mentors. Less than five. Those few taught me more about life and what to pay attention to and stay away from and do to live a healthy, happy existence, than everyone else put together.
Now don’t get me wrong, we can and should learn from everyone. There will be very worthwhile and important messages that come to us from people we’d never expect. Even from people we don’t know. We must be open to what the universe is sending our way.
Then, there will be those who will show up, who will change our lives forever. In profound ways.
How? Because they’ve been there. They’ve done it. They’ve experienced it.
And they’re trying to help you.
Listen.