Reflect on the Lessons Learned
What did you learn about yourself this week?
Hi there!
Thursday’s Journal Prompt: Think of someone from your past who hurt you and look at their life from a zoomed out perspective. Are there things in their past that may have triggered the way they treated you?
What do you think of this first week of the new format of the Positivity Club? This week, we’ve focused on people. Here’s what we’ve considered so far:
Learn Who Is in Your Life for a Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime
Walk Away From Toxic People
Understand How Roles Can Change
Step Back to See the Whole Picture
To wrap up this week’s topic, today’s focus is on the lessons you’ve learned from other people.
Every person in your life teaches you something. Some lessons are wonderful, like the people who teach you to love and take care of others. A few lessons are painful, teaching you who not to trust and which activities to avoid.
When I look back at the last five decades, a few important lessons come to mind.
My second grade teacher taught me to write for joy. It didn’t matter if anyone else liked my stories as long I enjoyed writing them.
My fifth grade teacher taught me it was okay to reach out for help. I can’t even remember why it started, but we wrote letters to each other for an entire school year. I’ve always been able to express myself better with the written word, and Mr. S gave me a safe place to explore those feelings.
My therapist taught me to step out of my head.
“Scott,” she often told me, “you are not the center of the universe.”
Even when we pretend otherwise, we all feel a little bit like our world revolves around us. Staying in that perspective, though, blinds you from what others are going through.
When you can step away and view a person from the outside, you can’t help but feel differently about them. This lesson helped me see my parents as imperfect people who did their best and not the tyrants I imagined them to be.
My ex-roommate taught me how damaged people can hurt others. Knowing him taught me to look for warning signs and avoid similar traps.
Lizzy (my soulmate) taught me to love without reservation. Love doesn’t mean you always agree, but it’s the glue that holds you together when you don’t.
Your task for today is to think of 3-5 people from your past and one lesson they each taught you. Try to keep the lessons positive, but expect there may be a negative one or two in the mix.
Next week, our focus will be on putting your mental health first. What does that mean and how can you do it? Come back Monday to find out.
If you don’t want to wait until Monday, come join the fun Sunday in the All Things Bipolar Newsletter.
Friday’s Journal Prompt: Who in your life taught you to love, to think well of yourself, or to dream big? Which people helped you improve your life and how?
Until next time, keep fighting.
Scott Ninneman
* Starting March 17, 2025, the Tuesday through Friday issues will only go to paid subscribers.
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This is a great prompt Scott. I'm going to think on it and journal about it soon.
I really like this blog. It’s really constructive 👍