Response To Just a Few of Garcia’s 41 Life Lessons
In this piece, Medium pro Alberto Garcia offers numerous insights and points. His 41 life lessons influence discussion, inquiry, and reflection about some of the most ever-wondrous and unboundedly complex questions. At 38, I am not too far behind Garcia and find many of his gems of wisdom hitting close to home. Like anyone else, I certainly have additional insights, critiques, or whole other points to offer from my own point of view. Here, I will expound upon just a few of Garcia’s 41 life lessons I found most resonating.
Most arguments are about defending positions that are not true. But the arguing parties want the other party to accept them as accurate and, at best, they are half-truths. Because the authentic truth does not admit discussion, it transcends opinions and endures in time even if questioned.
On this critical lesson nineteen, I can certainly relate to much of what Garcia is saying. So many of the debates and arguments we have are about standing up for positions that are half-truths, or partially touching on the overall reality. Think of politicians in the U.S. or other countries who argue for economic policies that may only work part of the time for the distinct economies of the communities in their respective district. But at least if people are presenting arguments and debating they are engaging in active dialogue and sharing. This is a different approach than the ambiguous “I’m entitled to my opinion” response that quickly can turn fallacious. When people quickly say “that’s just my opinion” or pronounce “I guess you have a different opinion” before quickly walking away from someone with dissenting views, it can easily thwart the opportunity for the sharing of deeper reasonings and insights from distinct points of view.
Having considered Garcia’s points here, I would offer a slightly different framework and deeper probing question? Consider the prospect that the countless deeper, authentic truths humans are always only just beginning to make sense of endure through time and hold unbounded complexity. Might our different positions and viewpoints at their core then be touching on genuine facets of the truth from various points of reference? We can honor the relational value and truth inherent in our unique gems of insight about any reality considered. And like pieces of a puzzle recognize where they fit in and where they do not fit in. Additionally, if we engage in respectful and open-ended forms of dialogue that allow us to consider the other’s point of view, we can appreciate their unique gems of insight and consider how they relate to our own. This enhancement of understanding is consistently necessary for each of us, as even a collective vision with multiple points of view will barely scratch the surface of things.
Balance = happiness. It also applies to healthy things because you get injured if you overdo it while exercising. If you overdo it working, you get burned out; if you save every dollar, you get bitter, etc.
Yes indeed! Garcia puts his 26th lesson so nicely. Anything getting out of balance can lead to a breakdown in health and happiness. The hard thing here is that overacting in any essential facet of one’s life can yield imbalance. So many contradictions and paradoxes can easily spring up. We burn the oil in our occupations to climb the corporate ladder and bring home the bacon to support our families yet may miss out on many of our spouse’s or children’s key moments in the process. We strive to give fully of ourselves in love and care to our families and in service to our communities and the greater world but forget to take time for self-care. One key example of this might be in the way we act in our key life relationships. It is crucial to maintain strong ties with family and friends, yet if you spend so much of your time “keeping up appearances” isn’t authenticity soon thrown out the door? And don’t forget if you are not able to make a dear friend’s or family member’s big event due to other commitments or something else, often a heartfelt sharing of your love and care in other forms might be just as meaningful. There are so many facets to maintaining balance and health among all parts of our lives and this allows us to be the best we can in each of our many facets, roles, and relationships.
When things go wrong, stay calm. When things go well, stay calm. Success is more dangerous than you think because the higher you climb, the more the fall hurts, and not keeping your cool makes you stumble.
Certainly, this is a tough one. Calm, steadiness, and consistent peace of mind are often considered the virtues of saints and sages. But we can all work towards this state of composure in our life’s efforts, experiences, and challenges. One thing to keep in mind here is it okay to have times of fear, panic, stress, anger, and doubt in bad times and also to have times of profound excitement, glee, passion, and exhuberance in good times. Life events call for experiencing these in due time. Building a deeper disposition of calm and cool does not mean pushing out these other natural emotional and spiritual currents as they come. Rather, if you are able to reach a state of inner peace and deeper calm at your center, it can serve as an anchor to keep you rooted through whatever currents, winds, and storms you may encounter.
Yes, I have considered but just a few of Garcia’s 41 life lessons. And Garcia’s 41 are but a few of many times that amount of lessons countless other people could offer. Many commendations are due to Garcia and other writers who strive to offer such a palpable, heartfelt list. Pondering the most wonderful and ever-mysterious of questions is often done privately or in confidence among close-knit groups. Sharing openly on the written page is such a wonderful gift with immeasurable impact. May we all strive to find ways to enrich others with our insights and learned lessons, whether in written form or by other means.
