Posted on January 16, 2022

"It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light (by G. K. Chesterton)"

—Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project

Seldom times I found myself living on automatic: reacting thoughtless to everyday situations. This is not to say that my actions are wrong or hurtful but, instead, that I rely on my subconsciousness to take the wheel. One consequence of this is that, due to the lack of carefulness, those times it’s easier to default to react on the heavier side. Either with family or friends, and especially with acquaintances that I’m not so fond of, it’s hard to be light sometimes.

I recognize, though, that this hard truth should be internalized and acted upon—or better yet, act against. It’s a mindful exercise that requires attention and responsibility. The former because we don’t always recognize when we are choosing something just due to its ease; and the latter because, once we are aware of it, we need to employ our ability to respond to it. Thus, I shall be more aware of my actions, take the wheel and strive to act lightly as much as possible because I want to, and because I can.