14 Comments

Thank you for this letter! Knowing how you stay away from the news makes me feel held and a little less "left behind"! Also overall, it was such a comforting, reassuring read to me. Thank you, Nedra 🌻

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Such a great reminder.

I still remember the time of my life when all I did was chase perfection, thinking that it is the answer to finding happiness in life. But over time, I have realised that we are not meant to be the best at everything we do in life.Sometimes, all you have to do is enjoy the process of 'learning' , simply because you wish to know better.

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Sep 19, 2023Liked by Nedra Glover Tawwab

So good.

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Sep 19, 2023·edited Sep 19, 2023

What a treat! Thank you for offering such wisdom and insight into this topic. I'm sure we can all relate on some level, whether being the person who craves being right and being on the receiving end of unsolicted-rightness.😂

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I think most of us have an attachment to being right because when we are, it’s strong validation. Now is that the healthiest attitude? Maybe not, but if I am also open to being wrong and can freely admit when I am, that is a different type of self-validation. With that said, I don’t have to be right and am the first to admit when I’m wrong - but it’s taken 65 years to be this comfortable with my own fallibility! A work in progress!

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I hear you say wisdom is knowing there's knowledge gained by being wrong.

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Thank you for sharing that. 💜

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While what you write in this article is true, in my opinion, it is better received when it comes from a compassionate place and the person receiving the information is also informed about the truth of why they are in this situation in the first place, which for me was in the rooms of Al-Anon meetings. It is not our fault that we didn’t know how to do what we didn’t know how to do, and punishing us for not being able to do something we didn’t know how to do is not only extremely cruel, but also absurd. Quite frankly, doing that will also cause alienation to relationships, and for me they are just beyond repair at this point. I choose grace, for all of us. None of us are out there intentionally trying to hurt others. We aren’t egotistical or anything like that. We come from families dealing with extreme dysfunction and disease, and it is no one’s fault.

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Thank you Nedra. I delight in being wrong as this is how I learn. I find it liberating to say I don’t know. It is even more liberating when I possess information or knowledge about something and I don’t have to let you know that I know. There is peace and contentment in the practice of humility. You exude joy in your apple picking adventure!

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Agreed. I also take delight in saying I don't know. I think it's an especially admirable quality in a physician.

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I needed to hear this. Thank you. Love that photo of you! Such joyful expression!

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I'm ready for another fall trip to the Apple Orchard.

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Sep 19, 2023Liked by Nedra Glover Tawwab

Good stuff.

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Well said!

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