thought-full quote...

...from a most unlikely source. I was in a business office, speaking to an employee and read this posted on her wall. It was so well-worded, succinct, and useful if you take it to heart. I asked if I might have a copy. It's the sort of thing you find in some small publication, tiny book of inspirational messages designed to motivate you to 'reach higher than your grasp'.

When I got home and looked at it again, I was quite surprised to discover the source, written in small type at the end of the larger-font message. If you are familiar with American culture, it would seem most unlikely this individual would have something so thought-y and profound to say about life circumstances. Reminding us there is usually much more to a person than appearance, and to judge someone on sight, what you see on the surface, is always a mistake. We do not know the circumstances, back story or goals of anyone on first introduction. Therefore, misjudgments will easily cause us to jump to inappropriate conclusions if we take others at face value, making assumptions based on initial impressions.

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." 

I am not 100% in agreement with all the above. It seems to be my nature to trust people. Meaning I am hopeful to never immediately assume the worst - choosing to not think the planet's population basically dishonest, grifters from the get-go. But there is a lot of truth in the quote. Much of it is spot-on accurate, though only fully understood in retrospect.

There is another quote, though I cannot relate verbatim, that has been hanging around in my brain for years. I read it in a book by Tony Hillerman, when I was so fascinated with his characters I consumed everything he wrote . Something like: 'If you think things happen at random, you are looking at life from the wrong perspective.'

The above quote (in bold print) is from Marilyn Monroe.