Monday, May 05, 2008

Maturity

Something I enjoyed reading today:

"The difference between a mature human being and a child is that a child is always quite sure of how things ought to be. They are quite clear the way life must be, should be, has got to be, and if it isn't, they get very fussy.

A mature human being finally comes to the realization that quite a few things are just how they are. They can relax and function amidst life's imperfections without the need to be recognized or to condemn. Life is not perfect. Have you ever met the child who doesn't want the gold star? It is a child's perspective. In order to move through life and become mature, one realizes that what happens in life is that people are different. This realization is not just in terms of other people, but also ones self and life's events.

A mature human being can forgive people. They can accept that people have limitations, and they do what they can. A child can not. Children want things done according to their wishes. Because that's how they get their place in the world."

Extract from An Informal Discussion on Taoist Meditation by Bruce Kumar Frantzis

Link to full article