Recent posts have been either a poem or an article about villains. Both allude that we need not create them in our lives, or we make a bitter existence for ourselves. We must face that there’s not always a fight in our lives. Instead, we can enjoy the peace that life brings; however, with those two posts, it’s important to note that there’s also a time to fight.
There are times when we need to stand up for ourselves. Knowing when to fight starts by knowing who we are as a person. Many people think they know themselves, but they might not. When was the last time you did some complex reflection on who you are and what makes you tick?
Processing can occur with a group, journaling, counseling, taking some hard criticism, reading a self-help book, or another method. If you can’t remember the last time you did something that helped you self-discover who you are, it’s been too long.
On the other hand, you can take self-reflection too far, which is the aim of the next post. For now, know that by learning who we are, we can better determine what is worth advocating. Otherwise, we might find ourselves projecting unimportant and unnecessary priorities onto others and even making some people needless villains. But where do we start?
For some, doing formal self-discovery is scary. It shouldn’t be because the results are far more valuable than the fear of any process you choose. For the beginner, start by asking yourself the following questions:
- What are your passions?
- What are your interests?
- Who or what group do you love the most?
- What do you want to see changed in the world?
- What activities give you energy?
- When are you drained from certain activities?
- How would you like to spend your time?
You don’t have to answer all these questions or any of them. Instead, answer questions like those above and discover where your passions lie. Once discovered, advocate for those things. Do not find something to fight. Rather, work from passion and love than opposition.
Now some will argue, “No matter the cause, a fight is eventual!” True, and that’s when we fight. We fight because we’ve spent our energy focusing on what we’re passionate for than on people or things we’re oppose. Even then, fight against ideals and not against people.
Ideally, pacifism is nice. Yet, conflict is inevitable. When that time comes, we will go further and be more effective when we fight for what we love than what we hate. Discover who you are and embrace the passion you want to impact!
