‘If I ask you a question, you will answer what I want to hear. Were I to converse with you, I would let your true self flow out and be seen’
-Laudy
Two hurried, constant steps echo endlessly within the empty chambers where a river flows eternally to be mixed with the breath of life…
Such is the beating of our heart when it feels joy. It behaves thus when we open ourselves to the possibility of getting to know another person be it friend, lover, child, or just an acquaintance.
Our solitude in this world moving fast-forward fills us with despair at times, and fear of staying alone for the rest of our existence. We live our lives in such a hurry only because we choose to, because we perceive it as too short. Now, take your time to enjoy each minute one day, to sit down and relax, to read a little or, even better to gaze at the clouds passing by and think.
After less than half an hour it would seem as if many hours have passed, for life is long in itself, we just pass it by.
By the same token, when we meet another person, be it whomever it may be, we many times ask them multiple questions. Who are we to test their will or intentions? Is it wise to start asking the questions we already have in our repertoire to ease the analysis? Now, we abort new relationships(be it friendship or love) after reaching a conclusion thanks to the limits we impose on ourselves and our own fruitless perception. It’s like judging a book by its cover.
Strive to see a person for what he is, for what is a tree?
What, again, is a tree?
Draw it a second, do this exercise and then read more.
Draw a tree…
Take the time to listen, to ease a conversation and then study a person. Close your damned agenda and open your sketch book, where you will be able to express yourself and let others do the same comfortably.
Now, look at your tree. Did you draw the leaves? The foliage is one thing but, did you draw the leaves? The fruits? Did you draw the earth, or the roots? How about the roots going into the earth?
You probably didn’t, such is your limited perception of others…
Lesson learned: Before reaching any conclusion analyze things carefully, specially people. Things are not just black and white, nor grays and multicolored. There’s also transparent, invisible things we can only perceive if we are careful.
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