“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.” Luke 10:33 NKJV
One afternoon, while walking home with friends from school, a stranger approached us. I was in Secondary School then and had just finished summer lessons for the day.
As the stranger came closer, we dispersed because we were all guided by the instruction, “Don’t talk to strangers”. As I started walking away, I noticed the confused expression on his face. Then he approached me and asked for directions to a place he didn’t know. I suddenly had compassion for him.
I stopped and noticed my friends were already in front, staring back at me. I gave him the answer he needed and walked toward them. As we walked together, one of them looked at me and made a few statements, rounding it up with, “Your big heart will get you into trouble one day”.
I smiled, not because I felt he was saying rubbish, but because before then, I never knew I had a big heart. I was just open to helping people but could not define why. As I reflected on our conversation over the next few days, I realised that if I followed his advice, I would cage a part of me that should find expression.
Now, after almost two decades of life experiences, I still think it was really bad advice. He said it from a place of care because he didn’t want to see me kidnapped or worse, but being the receiver of the information, I have the discretion to accept.
It is possible for one negative experience to cage your good values and prevent you from becoming who you are meant to be. You may have decided to stop being kind or stop sharing your ideas. But the keyword here is WISDOM.
Wisdom is what helps you do things in moderation. It helps you know when to act and when to say No. It helps you observe and stay sensitive to your environment over time.
Don’t let any advice cause you to sacrifice the good in you. That may just be your worst advice ever.
What’s the worst advice you’ve ever received? Please share.
Today’s Task: Do you feel less than who you should be because of a piece of advice you’ve received? Try to recall the advice and identify its effect on you. Write this in a journal if you need to.
Complete This…
“The 5 most important events that happened in my life that I am profoundly grateful for include…”
Gratitude is the foundation of living a joyful life. Complete the statement above in your journal and save it so you can look at it again later.
Source: I get these growth prompts from my digital journal – GrowthDay.
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