First off, I would like to start out with this quote I came across in the midst of researching and trying to put together this idea that involves...Growing Up.
"What could be more beautiful than a dear old lady growing wise with age? Every age can be enchanting, provided you live within it. " Brigitte Bardot
There are certain people who seem to be living life without the motivation to move forward. Sure, you probably think that financially...you are in a good position, maybe better than most of the people you know. Hence, you think you are successful. And you are living the American Dream...the two-story house, the right kinda job, maybe not having to actually work and experience the luxury of being home all day...while your spouse works full-time. But, what is missing from here? What is the missing piece to this picture? Or should I ask, what are the missing pieces to this picture?? Odd, that I am asking this because one may think that that is the life!! Not having to work, not having to worry about the checks and balances of a monetary account, not having to live in a crammed up little house or apartment. With that said, please allow me the opportunity to tell you what this picture of a "perfect" life is missing.
Whenever I come across this topic or something triggers for this to startle in my mind and in my deepest of thoughts...the word--superficial--comes into my very disposition. Superficial keeps one from growing up and growing wise; it forces for a person to focus on the unnecessary things in life. It's being shallow and lacking originality and genuineness. Thus, leading to the misconception of truths and reality. The most important deficit is forthright honesty.
So...when I say that these people lack that drive to move forward, I am referring to those who love to live for the drama in life. They are willing to do anything...even if it means distorting the truth, setting up an argument, and in some cases, jeopardizing their marriage and their family just to create an emergency. My absolute question is what do you really get out of this? What do you gain by inflicting such disturbance? And what makes you even go there in the first place? Is it a lack of self-confidence, is it a seeking of attention from a particular subject, is it directed to make the other person feel bad, is it satisfying? What is the intention?
Growing up, and growing wise would be enticing only if you live within and according to your age is what Brigitte Bardot referred to when she came up with the quote. For such a quote to be in existence definitely tells us that there are some people in our society who falls off that track somewhere along the way while going through life. Mind you, I do not know Ms. Bardot personally or what she is really all about, but I will tell you one thing for certain, her quote caught my attention without question when this subject of growing up came to the forefront of my mind.
In my own personal life I may be just 20 something, but having accomplished my way into a career, a profession, experiencing the opportunity of raising children, of being my husband's wife, of being a mother to somebody, owning homes and being a tax-paying citizen...means a lot to me. These things are my livelihood and I worked and am working hard for them. My outstanding goal in life however, is to be the person that Ms. Bardot referred to..."the dear old lady" who is wise. I wish and hope that someday, when my daughter is a young lady, a young adult of her own...that she consults with me for advice on life...and seeks for help from me as her mother, who would only do the absolute best to show her how to live her life wisely, to steer her back into the right direction if she were to veer off road. And, I am pretty certain that those days will come; mistakes and errors are part of being a human. And this is not to say that I have learned all I could in life...I am learning everyday.
Now back to where I began with this point I am trying to make...some of the things that are missing from that picture includes an open mind--to learning and acceptance, maybe raising children--they teach you patience and selflessness, a job--having to do and work with coworkers. All of these things that we sometimes call things factor in on how we grow up, mature, and age intellectually. Not to mention, the values and morals that were ingrained into a family's foundation to create who you are and who you will become.
My wish for you is to live a life full of knowledge...to know your surroundings, to discover who you are, to know that knowledge and wisdom are two different things. Because to be knowledgeable is what aides you in performing your everyday job, whatever it is that you do for a living. But to be wise is what helps you to create a life that one would call enchanting. It's not the superficial things that is the determining factor on how well you did in life...it's the enlightened mind full of wisdom and of knowledge that results in the wise person one will be in his or her later years in life.
With all that said, growing up is one thing...but growing wise is another.
