by Reba J. Hoffman, Ph.D
Reading that title, you may
have just taken a stroll down memory lane. You gathered your books and Barbie
lunchbox and headed out the door. Mom called out the door to make sure you knew
the rule was, “don’t talk to strangers!”
I understand mom was trying
to protect us, but there’s just one problem. When we got to school on the first
day, we didn’t know anyone. So, if we didn’t talk to those strangers, how would
we meet them?
Your life is full of
internal and external commands, just like this one. While those who spoke them
into your life were well meaning, they also tied your hands. It’s really hard
to get to know brand new characters in your new book if you don’t talk to
strangers, right?
Mom would fly back from
Heaven on the next Angel Air flight if she knew I talk to strangers all the
time. In fact, one of my favorite things is to be stuck at a gate in a crowded
airport when the flight is delayed. The longer the better because I have a
captive audience! I mean, where are they going to go to get away from me?
By the time we begin the
boarding process, I’ve met and had a meaningful conversation with hundreds of
passengers, all because I didn’t listen to mom’s advice.
I’m not suggesting you
abandon your morals and throw caution to the wind. But I am urging you to
re-evaluate whether those principles that were driven into your heart still
apply in your world today?
You have beliefs that you
accepted so long ago that guide and govern your life today. Some are no longer
appropriate. You believe them, and obey them without realizing it. It not only
can hinder your writing, but every facet of your life.
Take inventory. Weed out
those negative commands from the garden of your soul. Question them and if they
aren’t for your life today, get rid of them with good, positive and healthy
truth that will help you be all you are destined to be.
Your prose will be better as
you write in truth. You’ll be happier, more at peace and a bit more
adventuresome. So go ahead, talk to strangers. You’ll be glad you did.
You are so right and thank you for bringing that fact to light. Talking to strangers has always been dificult for me but I am getting better at it. As you pointed out, we could miss so much by being silent and we could miss an opportunity to bless someone else with something we say to them.
ReplyDeleteThis post makes me smile. My mom used to tell me I didn't like mayonnaise. Turns out, she said that because she got sick eating it when she was a young girl. It wasn't until I was married and returning a sandwich with mayo at a restaurant that my husband asked why I didn't like it. I said, "I don't know. I guess I've never tried it. We didn't keep it in our house."
ReplyDeleteToday, I love mayo and it's usually the only thing I order on my sandwiches. Makes me wonder what other commands I have that no one has ever questioned.