There is no such thing as a ‘self-made’ man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts.
George Matthew Adams
Dear one,
You did not get here on your own. Whether the people who came before you cleared the path or created obstacles for you to overcome, each of them contributed to the person you are in the moment you are reading this.
I really like the Adams quote above, though I feel the need to amend and edit it a bit. There is no such thing as ‘self-made’, on that point I absolutely agree. We are all the product of our environments, regardless of whether the environment was an uplifting and kind one or not. My only point of divergence is that it is not only those who treated us with kindness who entered into our character and thoughts; everyone, including those who treated us poorly, has contributed in some way to who we are.
The people who were unreasonably cruel in my life were some of my greatest teachers. It took a lot of time and hard work, but I am thankful for each lesson, especially those I learned from those who did their best to hurt me. Everyone in your life has something to teach you. Focus on the lesson, not the emotion.
Never forget that I love you, and that excludes no one.
Love,
I love your words which ring so true. I’m so glad I found your blog. Thank you for the encouragement .