Every day is a school day 
A long time ago I read an article somewhere about how you can learn something from everything and everybody you meet in life. It sounded so simple and it intrigued me from the minute I read it 👀

Now I know the feeling when something resonates with me because it has to tell or teach me something 💝 However, at the time I had no idea that this article would change my outlook on life forever...

Mirrors 
In my previous post I told you about my therapist who offered me a crucial part of the puzzle to get my life back on track after my concussion. This is just one of many ‘presents’ that I have gratefully received and embraced since I got the message about learning lessons from looking in the mirrors that are being offered to me through life 🎁

It’s just a matter of paying close attention to what you hear and see and to do something with whatever speaks to you. Now this may seem simple, but it isn’t always easy or straightforward. I’ve always been eager to learn, but I’m also human. I find it a lot easier to learn something that I'm curious about then to learn something that doesn’t appeal to me 😏

Lessons 
A few months after getting my concussion I was done with it. Despite the fact that I knew there was probably more for me to learn from it (otherwise it wouldn't take so long) all I wanted was to move away from it as far and as fast as possible ❌

One of the obvious lessons I ended up learning from this experience was being patient. Allowing myself to go with the flow without forcing things. Even if the flow at the time was slow as molasses. It turned out to be a valuable lesson
Another thing I’ve learned from my experience is being present with whatever there is. I had no trouble being in a situation that gave me joy or that I chose to be in, but experiencing pain or fear and being limited in what I was able to do didn’t speak to me at all. Yet, it was an opportunity for me to learn and I am grateful now that I went through it all, gaining new wisdom I hope to use again whenever I may need it 🙏 

You only see it 
In Holland we had this famous soccer player and coach Johan Cruijff who had a very distinct way of looking at the sport and how to put a strategy together that will make you win the game. When facing people that didn’t understand him he used to say: “You only see it once you got it”. He was so right… 💕

Looking back it is amazing how many things I did learn from going through the motions of life and from the various people I met along the way. It makes me aware of the fact that everything is somehow connected and that we all have a place in it 🌎
But you don’t necessarily have to meet someone in person, as the example of the article I read many years ago shows. I don’t even know the name of the author, yet I am very grateful that he or she wrote that article about learning lessons from life.

Impact 
Now if you look at this from a different angle, you yourself will be a mirror to others as well. With or without being aware of it or intending to, you have an impact. We all have an impact on the world that surrounds us by the things we do or say or leave behind.
So having a chat, sharing a smile, singing a song, lending a hand, writing a letter, sending a gift, making art, adopting a rescue, volunteering time to any cause you may want to support, picking up garbage from the street, it all matters 🍀

Finding purpose 
This knowledge helps me in my search of finding purpose. It comforts me at times when I feel overwhelmed by things I cannot change or that lie beyond the responsibility of my own life. It keeps me aware of how precious life is and how lucky I am to be a part of it all. To me, that’s the Magic of Life ✨
Learning to trust that leading my life by continuous learning is ‘enough’, is going to take more practice and experience. Hopefully I’ll get the time to work on that…

With Love and Gratitude for Life,

Sandy McPhee