Something to consider. A little food for thought. Some questions for the journal.

Men are told to watch out for the predator. She's gonna find vulnerability and weaponize it. Women are afraid of that she's gonna find someone who's interested and generally loves her, and that she will let her guard down, to give herself to him fully, and she's going to let herself fall into him, feeling that he's going to catch her or be a solid ground to build something on, and she's not going to protect herself, and then it's gonna turn out that it was a lie, and he wasn't who he claimed he was, and he's actually someone who's just gonna discard you and not be there for you.

To move past that, we have to brave enough to try to love each other and be hurt, and we have to say out loud what we're afraid of.

We must have the conversation and discuss this fear. I'm afraid you're gonna hurt me emotionally. I'm afraid that you're not who you say you are. I'm scared. There will come times that I need rest, and I sometimes don't know that. I need someone who is going to help me figure out that I need to rest but is not gonna take away my power. Someone that'll say, "it's so good that you go out in the world and you do all this stuff, but why don't you lay your head down for a minute. It's okay."

This begins to touch on the idea that one may be terrified to rest. That means stopping, quitting, failure, or worse. Resting means I'm not working, and therefore it's not 100% of the effort that could be put in. These are the ideas that can push me into burnout. Rest is essential for productivity. Constant action and stressors weigh heavy on the system. The mind feels the load. It's a lot easier when someone gives us permission to rest. It helps soften the voice that criticizes for resting.

I'm not sure if we discussed the biggest lie ever told. I tell it to myself, and I hear it oft repeated by others. The biggest lie: it's not that simple. This is the lie that keeps people stuck, me included. I talk myself out of things because I overcomplicated and think, it's not that simple. In good news, the truth is that it is that simple. Just do the thing. Be kind to people. Chase the dream. Wake up every day and just get to it. It is that simple.

Another lie I was told: Friends and family will be against it. This one I also believed because it sounded true. I came to understand that this one is not true. Back to the previous discovery, it is that simple. Simply stated, the friends and family will support it because they support their loved one. The time spent together with the friends and family will of course replace any previously held misconceptions they may have. They will also see the happiness and joy this choice brings, thereby reinforcing their belief the choice was the correct one. Open communication with the family is important because those relationships are important.

Just quickly, we'll discuss Greg. Greg heard a story about someone who can't afford a lawyer so they're gonna lose. If they had a decent lawyer, they could win this thing. Greg can't help in this situation, but he feels the pain of the tragedy deeply. In a stroke of empathy, Greg breaks into tears, hugging his chest, where he feels this emotion. The moment lasts a few seconds, relatively brief, but no less intense. He understands there is nothing to be done except listen and see the person going through the struggle, taking a moment of gratitude.

Some writings appear disconnected, and some things don't require a response. Some observations can be kept to oneself. Not everything warrants additional effort. There was the story of the bird. A man was walking in the forest and found an injured bird on the ground. He picked the bird up gently and carried it home. The man put the bird in a nice cage on the balcony. He fed and cared for the bird daily. He spent time with the bird, and they grew to be close. The bird healed in time and stayed with the man. After a couple years, something shifted in the man. He became more distant and less interested in spending time with the bird. The man walked to the cage one day, and the bird was excited that they would finally spend some time together. The man opened the cage door. The bird's excitement grew when he saw the door open. The man then just turned around and walked away, leaving the door open. The man walked back inside and shut the door behind him. The bird could see the man through the glass at times. He recognized the silhouette of the man and wanted to be with him. The bird flew from the cage and into the glass. He could not get through the glass. So, he tried again. And again. He kept trying until his face was bloodied and his wings were bruised. With all his effort, he could not reach the man. The bird went on like this for days that turned into weeks. One day, when the bird lay exhausted from his efforts, an older bird landed on the balcony. The older bird stared into the sky, blue above the green forest below. The younger bird asked, why do you look out there and not try to get inside? The older bird responded, I used to want to be inside, but then I turned around. The older bird flew away after he spoke these words. He flew high above the trees and disappeared in the sky. The bird considered what the older bird said. He had not considered turning around and looking at the wide open world. It had been his choice to keep knocking on the closed door while the entire world lay open behind him. The bird got up from the ground. He shook himself off and assessed for any injuries. He was okay, minor scrapes and bruises, but nothing that would hinder him. The bird looked once more at the window. He caught a glimpse of the man. He lingered in that moment for a few extra seconds, until the man disappeared. The bird turned around and looked to the open sky. He took off in flight, and for the first time, he flew away from the window, into the world. He breathed the fresh air and flew higher than he had for a long time. He was just now remembering the freedom he had forgotten. The bird disappeared over the horizon and never looked back.