Think like a Viking: Part thirty

This week's Viking quote

The hand turns to its wonted skill, and that which was learned in youth is always most familiar. - Grettis saga Ásmundarsonar

Learn, build and develop the right skills and attributes, knowledge, understanding and wisdom from an early age as those habits will come to influence our thoughts, attitudes and actions later. That's what I read in this powerful quote which resonates with me for so many reasons.

I've spent a lifetime walking my path and fortunately am still doing so. I've learned lessons along the way and I'll share some a little later however right now...Well...I've had a difficult week.

This may seem not to be reflected within my posts on hive as I usually try to keep them as upbeat as I can, but my life isn't played out on hive, it happens in the real world. Even there most people never see or know what struggles, adversity and tribulations I may be faced with; neither do many see my successes - I am a rather private man and prefer to stay under the radar. It was difficult though and if the truth be known I'm still heavy lifting with the hope of moving things forward.

Having said that, I'm here alive and equipped with a set of skills acquired over my lifetime that help me work through life and whether I'm walking in shadows or light the wisdom and understanding I've gained, the good habits I've formed, help me through.

So what have I learned? Well, I guess the real answer is everything I know to this point, but here's a few specifics.

Humans can be cruel, vile and disgusting creatures. But they can also shine brightly; be giving, generous, selfless, patient and empathetic.

I learned the former early in life and relearned it many times over as each year passed. The lessons I suffered through dictated my thoughts, attitudes and behaviours and (fortunately) I came to the understanding that those lessons were incredibly valuable as examples of who not to be - I acquired good habits. No, I'm not perfect and never will be - I'm human, so flawed, fallible and fractured...But I have the skills to understand good behaviour from bad. It's made my journey more valuable and I carry less regret.

Humans can love with amazing intensity and passion, however hate often burns with a similar passion and both can be all-consuming.

I've felt both deeply and know how they can quickly devour a person; sometimes bite by bite and sometimes whole. I'll not lie, I've felt hatred and have allowed it to almost consume me. Although, I've also felt love so profoundly and with such overwhelming potency that I've become virtually lost to anything but that love, the need for it and the need to give in to it. Extremes. Somewhere in the middle is balance although it's been indistinct at times and often elusive. The lessons I've learned around love and hate haven't been easy ones but the process has left me with valued skills and habits and I'd not change that journey.

I'm going to leave it there as I feel this will turn into a very long post if I do not.

Sometimes I have the desire to truly open up here, to tell my story, all of it, so that you may understand me better and know what I feel when I write these words. I cannot though, will not - I don't think people would understand very well and figure it's best for people to simply have perceptions, good or bad, rather than the truth. It would make for a set of incredibly powerful posts though I guess.

Instead, I take my experiences and the wisdom, knowledge and understanding gained from them and share them.

Yes, if you look hard enough, if you read between the lines of my fiction writing and general posts, you'll see me rather clearly, but that takes the right type of person. Generally it's perception that wins out and I'm ok with it.

I guess I'm just ~~happy~~ comfortable with sharing a little of what I have learned in life and hope that someone may pick up a gem now and then, something they can add to their own tool box and take throughout their own life...Then pass it along after adding their own spin.

That's it for this week, a thousand year-old Viking quote suggesting the skills we learn throughout our life often influence our thoughts, attitudes and actions and that it's best to gain and use them wisely, make good habits not bad. Please feel free to disagree with my interpretation and add your own, tell me a story around this quote or topic or simply react to it and let me know what you think, how you see it, how it relates to you or someone you know.

Skol.