Several years ago, someone suggested doing this activity: At the top of a page, write "I've learnt that..." and then list some of the truths you've learnt recently. Make them simple, brief and don't try to write them particularly wonderfully; but make sure they are really true for you. They don't have to apply to anyone else. Don’t try to make them sound profound and lovely-sounding. Write them reasonably quickly, without thinking too hard about it. Some may be silly and light-hearted, some may be profound. When you read back through them, or even as you write them, you'll be surprised at some of the things you really have learnt, and some things will solidify themselves into actual truths that you hadn't put into words until now.
I do it every so often, because it helps me to reflect, and to see that I have actually learnt a few things through the glut of days that the recent past often appears to be. Here are a few from my lists:
I've learnt that...
... God loves me, that He watches over me, and that He answers my prayers.
... of all things and people on earth, my family is most important to me.
... it is through adversity that we find our greatest strength.
… life takes time.
...wishes and dreams will remain just that, unless I act on them.
...you can't plan everything, so you have to learn to take events as they come.
...I really don't know very much, and I seem to keep making a lot of the same mistakes I've always made.
… my first impressions of people are usually wrong.
… patience is about the hardest virtue to assume.
... in the end, I have to make my own decisions.
... a clean, tidy room is much nicer to live in than a dirty, messy one, but I don't like tidying it.
... I will always feel inadequate when I compare myself to other people.
... things seem a lot easier when you're lying in bed thinking about doing them than they do the next day.
...I grow the most when things are difficult.
... some things shouldn't be analysed.
...it is more important for me to come to love and understand others than it is to spend my energy trying to make sure they understand me.
...it is not so much what we are given, but what we do with it that counts.
...a genuine friend is worth more than many acquaintances.
... just the act of setting a goal contains great power in itself.
... sometimes, God takes away so that He can give us more in its place.
... I like being an auntie.
... I really dislike dry weather.
... when I put my mind to it, I'm capable of more than I realise.
... the best and deepest learning comes little by little.
... daily life requires courage.
... I shouldn't try to change my brother's mind.
... all good teaching requires great involvement.
... it feels a lot better to take control of a situation than to allow circumstances to control you.
... God doesn't punish or condemn us for our weaknesses, but we punish ourselves by hanging onto them, when He bids us let go.
By Tamara Hann
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