By Xenia s. Estrella
“A picture is worth a thousand words”. You got that right, Henrik Ibsen, because I laughed the first time I saw this picture. A few moments after, I then felt sorry for the big guy in front, thinking I was too soon to judge. Maybe there wasn’t anyone else who could drive for the boy, and he was just doing the boy a favor. A while longer, I was already thinking, “But what kind of parents would allow a young boy to straddle this much and risk his life, just to get somewhere? This, most probably, was not a long ride.” Aahhh… the mind. So many ideas brewing in there, sometimes all at the same time.
…
I remember some girls in high school calling me a flirt behind my back, ’cause I was friends with a lot of boys. I found out from my best buddy, of course, so I confronted these girls the first chance I got. I still remember the look on their faces. They were caught off guard! I don’t think they even thought that I’d be bold enough to approach them, let alone do it without anyone else backing me up (although I’m sure my best friend was close by). The “discussion”, ended up with the girls apologizing to me, and today we’re all still friends. Heck, that was in high school. People think (more) stupid things when they’re young, I guess.
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I am a licensed property broker. As a sideline to my real estate business, I, in the past couple of years now, have been selling artwork of a Filipino typography street artist called Bandit. I just love his paintings, which are so simple-looking but actually are quite deceiving; and, very thought-provoking when you figure out the stories behind them. I enjoy the conversations that Bandit’s paintings generate from its audience. It is amusing to hear the different interpretations and views of onlookers regarding words illustrated on a canvas.
I’ve never talked to the artist, Bandit, before; but I’ve heard stories about his struggles to showcase his very original pieces to art enthusiasts, and how he believed so much in his vision that he never allowed negativities to change him.
From one end…
I guess quite a few people reading this article would have laughed, or at least giggled, when you saw the featured picture of the boy on the motorcycle. It does, grab (pun intended) attention, doesn’t it? But, it may also have brought about background stories from imaginings, just as it did with me. The point is, we human beings always have something to say, whether these ideas stay in our heads or find themselves out of our mouths (even a laugh evokes an idea) or on print. We need to be very careful about assuming that we completely understand how people think, act and feel. In any case, what’s most important is that we practice when to keep our thoughts in our heads and when it’s appropriate to share them; how much of our opinions should be verbalized and when these can actually cause people harm. Not an easy task, but we should all try.
“The tongue has no bones but is strong enough to break a heart. So be careful with your words.”
- Anonymous
To the other…
It doesn’t matter how it happened. How it looked; which is why you think somebody said what. You cannot please everybody. Noone can. The only person you need to please is yourself. When you allow other people’s opinions to affect you too much, to the extent of changing your innocuous ways; expect a real problem to arise. Peace can only come when you are taking good care of your need for authenticity. You will never find your authentic self if you keep on trying to follow other people’s standards.
“Authenticity means erasing the gap between what you firmly believe inside and what you reveal to the outside world.”
- Adam Grant
Be happy. Be at peace.
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For more of Xenia, visit https://xeniae.com
If you feel like you over criticize sometimes, or on the other hand you’re too sensitive about how people see you, schedule a session today. See your world a bit clearer after just one dialogue.
