Mud Puddles And Jung

 

Jung put forward the concept that we don’t so much 

solve our challenges but rather, we outgrow them. 

Or perhaps we grow past them. Throughout our life we add capacity. We survive experiences that eventually make us stronger or at least less intimidated by the situations we encounter. We gain the ability to choose what we battle.

In my case I'd add we find we've outgrown the need to 'splash around' in certain muddy puddles. Not because we find answers but because we finally figure out that we never will find answers or change some things. A muddy puddle will never provide good drinking water.  I sense even as I type this that someone reading is thinking "but you could strain, boil, chemically treat that puddle and then you could drink it"!

True. But when all is said and done you'll still be drinking water that was a muddy puddle. After a lot of work. After struggling to alter the muddy puddle into something it was not.

I slowly have grown to understand I'm more content investing my time and effort changing direction. I'm spending more of my days searching for clear running streams.  Or a hidden pond of sparkling water. Or at least locating a clean puddle.

Choices. Every day. Every hour. At every interaction intersection. I finally fully grasp that the quality (and sanity) of my life is (at least mildly) configured by the choices I make. What do I attempt to alter and what to I choose to bypass? To release? To ignore (while muttering to myself  a bit I admit, lol -  but, hey it takes time to do it perfectly).

There is fulfillment (different from happiness - but that's another post) found by some in altering muddy puddles (and beating dead horses with sticks, metaphorically speaking).

I suppose that's the heart of Jungs' observation. Progress and happiness vary based on need, choices and growth. We can change. The likelihood of facts, situations and other people changing? not so much...

 A mud puddle 'fixer' ~ (or not)

At this point in life, which are you?