Me and Mildlife and...III

[AndrewP]

Just a couple of pearls here. Thanks as always for sharing.

Brain was switching from selfish to selfless to self.

I've mentioned this story a number of times and it was, while fiction, a great help to me on my own journey. In a Terry Pratchett novel, "Witches Abroad" the main characters end up in a hall of mirrors where they are told that in order to escape that they had to find "the real one". Character A starts running off and looking in all the mirrors. Character B looks down at her boots and says "this one". Knowledge and recognition of "self" is critical in this journey. No longer thinking of ourselves as only "the other half" or as a reflection but whole in and of ourselves. I've often thought that this really describes the difference between my MLCer and myself. Early in my journey I had a very good friend who I credited with helping me find my own boots. You just said it in a lot less words and perhaps meant something completely different than what I got out of it.

I am a good person. I do not believe in deserve, because I did not merit what I have been through. I do believe in earned, because I did put in the work (good or bad) for what I have experienced.

One of the things I often get from well-meaning friends is "you don't deserve this", "it's not fair" and I'm sure that a lot of LBS arrive here singing that same song. I'm with you on this. You get what you get, there may or may not be a greater plan but you deal with what is in front of you and not moan that it's "not fair".