Lessons
of Discovery
Instruction Manuals for Living
Depending on what stage we are
in our lives, we can sometimes feel like we ought to know more about who we are
or how to live. We may even berate ourselves for making the same mistakes, or
for just not "getting it," whatever "it" may be. We wonder how our lives would
be now, if only we had “known better.�?During moments like these, it is
important to remember that none of us are born with instruction manuals and that
learning lessons is a lifelong journey.
Inherent to our being born is
that we are here to observe, learn, and grow. Accompanying this is a built-in
guarantee that there will be mistakes and misadventures along the way. And while
it is only natural that we may sometimes become overwhelmed, especially when the
lessons keep coming, it is important to remember that learning to understand
yourself and your world is an ongoing and active process where the journey is
more important than the destination. Every lesson is intended so you can become
more of who you are. And as you grow through this self-discovery, you begin to
create your own instruction manual. The "how’s" and "why’s" are yours to
discover, and part of the beauty of being alive is that these rules are always
changing.
If you feel that you would like to explore what your personal
instruction manual may already say, then try writing down in order some of the
significant events that have happened to you. It’s also important to take note
of what you learned from each one. When you are done, you may be surprised to
discover how much you are always growing, and that every lesson learned always
informs the next. That being said, there is never any need to be hard on
yourself or think that you should have it all figured out. We always know as
much as we’re meant to know at that moment, and growing into our fullness is a
process that unfolds in divine timing. You and your life are beautiful works in
progress. Discover yourself and embrace your life’s lessons, and your
instruction manual will create itself.