For What It's Worth

There is no debating that the hardest advice to give is to yourself. When you know someone in need of an encouraging word, we are so quick to pull out the optimistic remarks, pull out and dust off some clever cliche. It seems so easy to see the light for somebody else when they are lost in a cloud of doubt or confusion. We can switch on the torch and easily provide light. We know where it is, what to say, how to comfort. We become the superhero, rescuing the poor soul with no guidance.

So why is it that in dilemma's of our own, we lose our bearing and suddenly that torch is not within grasping reach? We feel completely baffled, alone, and torn between decisions that could alter our lives forever. We assume we should have some sort of idea on which path to take? Some optimism fighting through the cracks we are ignoring. But this time, nothing. Not euphemisms or happy phrases are filling our heads. No tugging or pulling of a dominant side that we know we'll end up leaning with in the end anyway. Just... nothing.

Surely of all the people in the world we should know ourselves the best. I should be able to say to myself, "Self, I know you so well that the best decision for you and your life is this". But it's always harder when facing yourself. Perhaps it has to do with living with the consequences as opposed to writing it off once the advice is offered. Or perhaps the person we really DON'T know best is our self. Let's face it, we're biased! And we truly don't have a thorough view of our self from all angles. We write off the things we dislike about us as non-existent . We sugarcoat the mistakes we might have made in the past to suit our frame of mind. We knit a wall of ignorance between the truth and our truth.

What would life be if we could all simply know the perfect advice for ourselves and act accordingly straight away. We would have no regrets, we would waste no time. We would learn no lessons.

For what it's worth... I'd think about it long and hard.