Ooof this is a good one! I believe it's a good possibility that the FIRST thing someone thinks has more to do with how what you're sharing about yourself makes them feel about themselves in comparison to what you've shared. In which case it's not actually about WHAT you're sharing at all, or your "right" to share it as much as it is our conditioning to attempt to shame others for "making" us feel a certain way. Which of course is ridiculous. Nobody can "make" anybody anything, and yet we go along perpetuating that myth by adhering to beliefs that endorse it, such as labeling someone who shares something like your Oxford story as a "bragger". And there was a time I may have done that myself! 😬Simply because I'd been trained into it. My retrained brain understands that your stories are about you. EXCLUSIVELY. And when my brain is freed from believing otherwise, I can fully enjoy any story that others are generous enough to gift us with and pull inspiration from them. THESE are the people we write for. Those who don't receive it in that capacity weren't meant to. I thank you for the much needed reminder and as far as Oxford- they'd have been lucky to get you.
And I am lucky to have you as a reader! I love love love hearing your thoughts in response to my writing. Thank you for sharing and if I am honest I am also still working on the first thing I think when someone shares their good fortune or when I witness it. The mind is a tricky beast to master.
Thank you so much- you just made my day! I SO hear you on that Val and I'm beginning (beginning!) to make peace with the idea that mastery may not even be a possibility. Perhaps the goal of it just provides us the impetus to continue the journey.
Now cue up Tom Petty: Learning To Fly and let's encourage ourselves into continuance! 😁
Ooof this is a good one! I believe it's a good possibility that the FIRST thing someone thinks has more to do with how what you're sharing about yourself makes them feel about themselves in comparison to what you've shared. In which case it's not actually about WHAT you're sharing at all, or your "right" to share it as much as it is our conditioning to attempt to shame others for "making" us feel a certain way. Which of course is ridiculous. Nobody can "make" anybody anything, and yet we go along perpetuating that myth by adhering to beliefs that endorse it, such as labeling someone who shares something like your Oxford story as a "bragger". And there was a time I may have done that myself! 😬Simply because I'd been trained into it. My retrained brain understands that your stories are about you. EXCLUSIVELY. And when my brain is freed from believing otherwise, I can fully enjoy any story that others are generous enough to gift us with and pull inspiration from them. THESE are the people we write for. Those who don't receive it in that capacity weren't meant to. I thank you for the much needed reminder and as far as Oxford- they'd have been lucky to get you.
And I am lucky to have you as a reader! I love love love hearing your thoughts in response to my writing. Thank you for sharing and if I am honest I am also still working on the first thing I think when someone shares their good fortune or when I witness it. The mind is a tricky beast to master.
Thank you so much- you just made my day! I SO hear you on that Val and I'm beginning (beginning!) to make peace with the idea that mastery may not even be a possibility. Perhaps the goal of it just provides us the impetus to continue the journey.
Now cue up Tom Petty: Learning To Fly and let's encourage ourselves into continuance! 😁
I'd would only feel intrigued into hearing the rest of the story! And Oxford Schmoxford. Any old riff raff can get in there...😂
🤭