"SO WHAT"???

That's my conclusion after hearing something on the radio this morning about a boxer...I think his last name was Jackson, can't remeber his first name. He suppositely hold the record for gotten knockout the most and also hold the record for the having won by the most knockout.
I'm probably thinking...what would keep a man like this going? Well, he probably said to himself after someone just KO him..."Ah, SO WHAT? , I just get up and go again!"
And when he just won a bout...he probably said..."Ah, SO WHAT? so I won, cool...I just keep on going "

This also reminded me of a Zen story:

"IS THAT SO"???

- A son carelessly lost a herd of horses because he left the fence opened by accident. All the neighboor (You can insert your favorite family member here ___________:D) came by to said how terrible this is. The Father of the son response "Is That So?"

- Later the lost herd of horses came back on their own and brought a beautiful white horse with them. All the neighboor came by to congratulate the Father on his good fortune.
his response "Is That So?"

- Still later, the son like the new white horse so much that he rode it every morning. But one morning he got thrown off this horse and broke one of his leg. All the neighboor came by to said how sorry for this unfortunate accident. The Father response "Is That So?"

- Much later, when the warlords who own their lands came by to draft all the young men to go to war, the son was excluded because of his broken leg. All the neighboor came by to congratulate again on the son's good fortune since 50% of all who went to war never came back.
Again, the response was "Is That So?"

I too am over 50 and have no children and the world does seem to pity that. I don't. Until reading this book I would get annoyed with their judgemental, pitying statements in reaction to finding out I have no children, but now I just let it be so.

I feel sad to think that people who have children often judge themselves as better than me, and then at the same time I see them envy my freedom. That is their thinking and their ego at play, if they took the time to get to know me before judging - they would know that my life's choices simply led me on a different path and I have achieved so much more than I set out to do.

I would like to have experienced being a mother, and probably if I had made a few different choices along the way I might have done so, but that is in the past. The point is, I am not a bad, or sad person because I didn't. If I had made different choices I would not have had the other things in my life that came of along like travelling, living abroad, strong leadership business roles etc. and I am very grateful for the wonderful experiences I have had.

I suggest that you let everyone else's ego overtake them - don't react, know yourself and be still and at peace with the path you have taken for you cannot change it, you can only add to it.

God bless you.

goddiva thanks for writing this post. I agree with what everyone else has said in this post.

I know how the social messages we grow up with can impact us. Then there is the real feeling of loneliness when we are not fitting in the social structures built around us. Please remember you are never alone! Everything in your life so far has been the choices you have felt empowered to make. If you want to make different choices you will. What ever a human mind can conceive of it can achieve.

Take pride in your choices but also know you always have the freedom to make new choices, not because others are dictating it but because you want it.

I honor you and admire you for who you are ......A wonderful unique person!