seven

I recurrently joke about being a ‘thinker’—it’s a way for me to justify why I am constantly contemplating things and trying to better fathom the stimuli.

but what’s a thought, if left unexpressed? what’s a reflection, if not brought to life through discussion with our peers? I mean, isn’t this how philosophy came to become a thing, somehow? those people who observed phenomena and discussed them, looking for others to agree and follow—and potentially oppose?

verbalizing ideas and contemplations has brought me to where I am today. discussing various topics with others and/or hearing their opinions brought more meaning and value to those observations.

and just for that, I wanted to express my deepest gratitude—for every smile, every agreement with what I said or wrote, every comment, every feedback, every “I needed to read this”, every “thank you”, every “loved it”.

it is one thing to be complimented for your writing style and choice of words, but it’s a whole other feeling when someone tells you that they needed to hear or read the thought you expressed, that they found some reassurance in what you said, or that what you brought to the table made them feel better, made them smile, or made them view things from a different perspective.

what astounds me is that, lately, a lot of the things I’ve been going over in my mind and writing about seemed to be ideas that my friends (with whom I share the links to my posts and with whom I hold such discussions) also thought about. it’s staggering how alike we all are, and despite the sonder, we are all still more connected than we think.

and from here, I wanted to draw the attention back to the power of talking about it. it’s always heartwarming, and truly an honor and a joy, when someone feels comfortable enough to talk to me about what’s going on in their life—be it the positive, the negative, the triumphant, or the mundane. please talk about it. talk about it all. allow yourself to let it all out, understand things better, and make it a little easier to find a way to make things sunnier. no matter how trivial you think the matter is, please, talk about it. no issue is too small, too trivial, or too unworthy to be discussed. it’s always valid.

when you come to think of it, I believe a big contributor to this trust-building is the fact that I, too, share the positive, the negative, the triumphant, and the mundane—whether it’s online or in real life.

by the way, I guess what I’m about to say may sound strange, but don’t know why I sometimes feel that if I—in particular— proceed to express something negative, people might perceive it as puzzling. but, as I often repeat to myself, just because you’re a generally positive and optimistic person, doesn’t erase the reality that you are a human being at the end of the day.

so, yes. the reality of being a human being, a complex bundle of emotions, overpowers any “I am the master of my own life” mindset.

anyway, back to talking about it. another huge factor in this connection is listening. being able to listen to people is such an incredible blessing we might sometimes overlook. when you listen, smaller details get imprinted in your mind; someone’s favorite band, someone’s favorite snack, someone’s preferred ice cream flavor, someone’s past trauma, someone’s passion, someone’s dream, someone’s fears…

all of this adds to the depth of the connection you have with others. and what a beautiful thing it is to give attention and meaning to the smaller pieces of the puzzle.

I truly appreciate this ability (and blessing) I have been given, and I’m very thankful for it.

sigh. I love people. so much. I love talking and listening to them.

and, and, AND I absolutely, genuinely, and wholeheartedly love my friends and family. I want to tell them that every chance I get, in any way I can. that’s it—decision made. I don’t know man, I just hope I make it a little easier and sunnier here for someone.

(hold on a second, let me catch my breath and see if there’s anything else I wish to add…)

I initially really wanted to talk about how thankful I am about God’s presence in my life, but I’d rather dedicate a whole other post for that.

I’ll be back soon with that. until then, take good care of yourselves, and don’t hesitate to talk about it with anyone you trust.

kind reminder: God loves you, and so do I. x

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you did it. you turned seven.

at first I considered writing a post that englobes everything I’ve experienced and thought of in the past year, but I then thought that I… don’t really want to do that.

seven years ago, 21/12/2014, I thought to myself “you know what? I’m going to start a blog.” and what a ride it has been.

God, it feels like I’m sealing an envelope before giving it to someone, knowing that I’ll never see it again. however, that’s not the case. this blog is nowhere near getting “sealed”.

thank you all for everything. for encouraging me, my ideas, and this blog to blossom further. thank you for being part of “our” growth.

and thank you God, for absolutely everything.

happy birthday, Found a New Home.

photo credit: pixabay