Laws To Live By

These are the things I've tried to base my whole entire life on. Unfortunately a lot of people have taken advantage of my kindness, mistaking it for weakness. All they did was make me stronger and show me the true nature of humans. We think we are the superior species, but there are so many things that show us that animals are in fact better than people. We don't deserve our pets, and for those of us who are lucky to have found the most amazing creatures, these "laws" may ring true. They understand more than people are lead to believe. They have all of these qualities and more that make them incredible. They can also communicate with each other telepathically and through the energy they feel in the air. I don't know about you, but I don't know a human out there that can do these things on command, yet we think we are better than them? I hope to change that mentality. I hope to show the world that we need to get out of our self centered, holier than thou, ME ME ME attitudes and start caring for those around us. Start small if this is such a hard task, stop leaving negative comments, stop interjecting yourself on things that don't concern you. ACT on love instead of acting on hate. Understand that JUST LIKE YOU, people are molded by environments and events in their lives, and for some, it's harder to break away from what you have solidified into yourselves. I do understand...there are those who are beyond saving, there are those who have hurt us in ways that are UNIMAGINABLE, people who leave scars in our hearts and hatred in our souls. At the end of the day, you are still the one who CHOOSES how you FEEL about the situation and how to move forward in life. It isn't easy by any means, especially when there is a tremendous amount of trauma involved in the situation. You don't need to forgive what someone has done to you, but you have to choose how to move on from the situation to better live your life. Another lesson that can be learned by all the abused, beaten, and abandoned animals in the world. These are not in any particular order, but each of these are important to learn how to move on and enjoy the life you have on this earth to the fullest of its potential. 

Empathy. To feel what another soul is feeling, regardless of ever experiencing what they are. This is hard to learn to do at times. It is hard for us to even begin to imagine another's pain. But one thing we all know...IS pain, and that my friends is all you need to understand. Empathy is about emotion, understanding emotions and how they are experienced. Validating feelings is all you need to do to practice empathy. The experience is irrelevant to allowing yourself to be empathetic. 

Compassion. Suffering together. Why would I want to feel that? Why would I put myself in a position of suffering with another? That just seems painful and unnecessary. It is a necessity in understanding empathy. Compassion is what brings us together. Its a way to be present in the moment around you and to take action. How would you feel if it was you? What would you want someone to do to help?
 
Understanding. This is pretty self explanatory but I do UNDERSTAND that it can also be hard to begin to understand what another is feeling or going through if you haven't experienced it yourself. That goes back to that "me" mentality. We don't need to go through what another has to understand that it may bring a negative impact on them. My biggest example for this is anxiety. Most of us, if not all, have had a normal life before anxiety set in, and I can wager that most of us if not all thought that anxiety was not a big deal at all and that anyone with it should just "get over" what they are going through. Then *BAM* all of a sudden you have anxiety because of something that happened that started the ball rolling. Now you understand why anxiety is so crippling and how hard it can take a toll on a persons life. Don't wait to experience it for yourself to find the understanding. Understanding is simply just allowing yourself to care for another's situation and knowing that they need help. 

Patience. Now this one is HARD. I get it. In our life we are always on the go. We want INSTANT gratification. We want things to move fast because you know, time is money and all. Patience is important. It allows us to reground ourselves and live in the present, in the now. For those who have had fearful and abused companions that are now flourishing, it was not an easy process. But in the end, it was worth every second you waited. Every second you sat there for hours at a time to finally allow that companion to break free. The next time you are in a position where you are IMPATIENTLY waiting for someone in front of you to move, for a pet to use the bathroom, for a child to get their work done or for anyone who just seems to be taking their time, remember that you were once in a position where you wished someone would just give you a little bit of time. Whether it was for understanding something completely foreign to you, or you were at a new restaurant and had no idea what to get and everyone was staring at you waiting for you to order and you rush and get something you didn't want because you felt the impatient eyes staring at you(oddly specific I know) We ALL had times where we WISHED someone just gave us a little bit more time. So why do we expect everyone else to move at our pace and get upset when they don't? Here's a secret, get over yourself. You aren't special. Life will keep going. Trust me. If you get held up cause someone made you miss a light, there was a reason behind it. Be glad that you didn't get to see what COULD have happened. Just take that time to breathe and ground yourself. This is an art that everyone should learn, your lives will be better for it. 

Kindness. Do I need to explain this one? Just be kind. Treat others the way you want to be treated. It's simple. If you can't do it. Fix yourself. Your life will be much better once you start this ball rolling. 

Love. Love knows no bounds. It should be completely UNCONDITONAL from EVERYONE and EVERYTHING. That's it. That's all that love is. If you need to put a price on love, that is not love. If you have expectations for giving love, that isn't love. If you have ever said "you would <insert your crap here> if you REALLY loved me" THAT IS NOT LOVE. That is you trying to get what you want because you are selfish. LOVE IS LOVE. PERIOD. "The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love and be loved in return" 

Never Conform, Always Embrace. This one may hit hard for a lot of you. I left this for the end because it is something that breaks my heart whenever I see someone who is not living their best selves. EMBRACE who you are, we are led to believe that what we see in society, on tv, on social media or anywhere else is the only way to live by. We are all unique beings, we all bring something to the table that no one else does. Stop worrying about what the person next to you is doing and focus on being the best version of yourself. By doing this, you will allow your own light to shine through, and believe me, it will be seen. You are amazing. You are incredible. You are EVERYTHING that is needed and wanted. Never conform to what society wants. You will be doomed to fail and spiral into nothing. Your light will be dimmed by others who are living their best lives following their hearts and embracing who they are. You are spectacular. Even if you don't know it yet. Don't hide who you are out of fear. 

Our counterparts in the world want us to live in fear and follow them like mindless sheep. Animals show us that you don't need to do this. We all have a part to play in this world. Some big. Some small. Most importantly though. Just enjoy the ride and always choose love. It will take you far.