If you don't trace a path for your life, someone else will trace it for you
Most of us live lives that are influenced by society, our parents, our schools, and the people we spend the most time with. We often find ourselves advising others on how to live their lives, shaping their decisions. Sharing perspectives about what is good or bad, true or false, and possible or impossible is not inherently wrong. The problem arises when we reject views that don't align with our own without reflection, believing that only our perspectives are valid. This leads to avoiding or dismissing anything different and, ultimately, imposing our views on others, dictating how they should trace their path in life.
Whether we are the ones rejecting different views and acting as if we hold the ultimate truth, or we find ourselves on the receiving end of others' strong opinions, the key is to develop a sense of awareness in such situations. It’s important to take a step back, listen, and reflect before accepting any idea as the ultimate truth. Our knowledge is riddled with biases, many of which are hidden or unintentional.
It is challenging for the human mind to think from scratch without any preexisting beliefs and biases, and to reflect from a truly neutral position. However, learning to pause at every idea or opinion and reflect on it while remaining detached from prior assumptions can be a game-changing attitude in our lives. It’s important to approach everything with a grain of salt and to engage in the search for truth, if one exists. Remember, not everything in life is black or white; there are many gray areas that require deeper exploration. We must accept that we cannot be experts in every area of life.
Tracing a path for our life is rooted in the knowledge we've accumulated over the years. It’s about finding the balance between what we want and what we need, guided by our reflective views while also considering others' perspectives. This requires filtering out the noise that could be misleading.
Most of the valuable lessons we learn in life come from experimentation and trial and error. Through continuous fine-tuning of our processes, we build strong systems that shape our lives.