02/05/2016
Wise wonderful people, I bet you love this as much as I did xx
"to have an opinion about somebody else’s life is to plant the seeds of future suffering — because that person will very likely not live their life according your vision, which will either cause tension between you, or make you boil in secret anger about them. And who needs that? Especially if you love somebody. The more opinions you have about that person, the more your love will tarnish." - Elizabeth Gilbert
Dear Ones -
A wise friend of mine recently reminded me of this deep and powerful truth about how to have a more peaceful life. She said, “There are three kinds of business — yours, mine, and God’s. And the minute I start interfering with your business, or trying to question God’s business, I have overstepped my bounds."
It’s taken me years to learn how to back off from my passionate and burning desire to be absolutely certain about how other people should be living their lives. (Amazing, isn’t it, how certain we can be about other people’s lives, when our own lives are often so confusing and blurry and jittery?)
Same goes for my instinct to offer advice to people who have not asked me for advice (I used to think they just FORGOT to ask me for advice, and if I gave them advice it would REMIND them of what a good idea it would be if they came to me for advice....but no, it seems that when people don’t ask for my advice they actually seriously don’t freaking want it! Incredible. What world of strange wonders is this?)
I am also slowly learning that to have an opinion about somebody else’s life is to plant the seeds of future suffering — because that person will very likely not live their life according your vision, which will either cause tension between you, or make you boil in secret anger about them. And who needs that? Especially if you love somebody. The more opinions you have about that person, the more your love will tarnish.
I say it all the time to myself now: "If you love somebody, Liz, just love them. And then stay out of it."
A neighbor of mine used to wear a t-shirt that said, “Dear Lord — Please keep one hand on my shoulder, and the other hand over my mouth.” Hard to find a better prayer than that.
Let it be, everyone.
Your business, My business, God’s business. The better I can keep that straight, the gentler my life becomes.
(NOT THAT YOU ASKED — HA!!!!!!!)
ONWARD,
LG