Influences

“Sometimes painful things can teach us lessons that we didn’t think we needed to know.”
- Amy Poehler

Greetings! 

First off, we want to thank those of you who reached out to us last week regarding our message about kindness. We truly appreciate our connection with you. 

Yesterday, during our Sunday talk, we asked everyone to think of what people, situations, and events have been their greatest teachers. This is something for all of us to consider. None of us have gone through life alone, and each of us has been impacted by different people, situations, and circumstances. Today, we want to explore this further and ask each of you:

What people and experiences have had the greatest influence on your life? 

Upon first reading this question, your mind may go straight to the “good” experiences, your supportive friends and family, and circumstances you found enjoyable. It is nice to take stock of our many blessings and those who have contributed to our lives in what we consider “positive” ways. And yet, we want you to take this question much deeper. 

Also consider the very difficult times - the times when you wanted to give up or felt there was no hope.

While “focus on the positive” is often the advice, we think it is beneficial to look at all of our experiences and their impact. A “bad” situation can be just as influential as one we deem good.

Taking time to ponder questions such as this helps us figure out how we got to where we are today. If your life is on a peaceful path, where can you hold an attitude of gratitude? Who might you contact to say THANK YOU? Conversely, if you are in a place in life where you DON’T want to be, what brought you here and what can you do to begin to see yourself and life differently?

If you are willing to share, we’d love to hear your responses!

Wishing you a beautiful week,
Annette and Ada