To the fullest

There seems to be a new slew of encounters lately that had me pondering about how I have lived my life so far. There appears to be an abundance of people around me who act so wise and advanced for their age. Having it all figured out. Making decisions that took me decades to arrive at. I am not old. But I am not young. I am at that ripening where I can look over my shoulder in realization of how far I have come and look ahead to appreciate the full journey still ahead of me. I run into these younger people, so set on how they will live out their lives. Knowing how to avoid things close to the danger zone of risking ones life, ones pride, ones heart. I look at myself and the life I have lived so far in complete astonishment of the foolishness; the dangers I chose and the challenges I have mastered. I can honestly say that I have already lived a full life. There are no regrets to be had that would have any bearing on how it feels to have earned certain battle scars. I didn’t achieve any of my insights and personal wisdoms through books or spiritual retreats. I have gained every bit of sageness from hands on experience and I wouldn’t trade in any one of them regardless of how deep it cut at times. It was indeed each and every individual cut that opened me up more and more to the lusciousness of what life has to offer me.