Life Beyond Your Four Corners
The process of grief can be so hard. Some days, I’m okay, and other days, I’m not. But at the very least, I’m self-aware about all the things I’m feeling. Not everyone understands it, but I believe that going through this process is healthy—at least in my case.
Grief isn’t linear, and it isn’t easy, but I’m learning to be gentle with myself. To give myself room to feel, to reflect, and to grow.
I originally wrote this in 2018. Like my previous posts, I find myself revisiting all the feelings I once had before. If you didn’t know, my site was hacked in July 2024, and even though I was upset, I took it as an opportunity to revisit some of my past blog posts and start reposting them.
Sadly, with the loss of Rasheena, I find myself revisiting my 31 Days of Self-Love posts from 2018.
Life Beyond Your Four Corners – 2018
Life is beyond the four corners of your environment. It’s more than just going to work, coming home, and repeating. Imagine if we all opened ourselves up to meeting new people and experiencing new and exciting things.
As you grow and become more self-aware, you start to see things differently. The people you normally pass on the street, sit next to at the bar, or share a bus ride with—suddenly, you start noticing them more. You feel drawn to their stories, curious about their world and their life experiences.
You no longer judge a homeless person you see on the street. Instead, you want to help them. You want to hear their story. And in return, these people become a part of your life.
There was a time In my life where I was just cruising through life with blinders on.
I would walk with my head down, avoiding eye contact. I stayed to myself because I was scared of being close to people or people getting close to me, because that meant I had to share part of me I didnt want any to know about.
Making friends or connecting with others wasn’t on my agenda.
Self-awareness changes everything.
“Self-awareness is having a clear perception of your personality, including strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions. Self-awareness allows you to understand other people, how they perceive you, your attitude, and your responses to them in the moment.”
I think the moment we start to love ourselves, we become more self-aware. And in return, we grow as human beings—not judging others, but forming bonds we never thought possible.
In the process of loving ourselves, we become less selfish and self-absorbed.
We begin to realize it’s not always about us.
We start to understand the importance of meeting new people.
We start to see that the world is so much bigger than our surroundings.
And even though, in the process of becoming more self-aware, we may lose some friends and even family members, we also learn to give them the space they need to grow. Not everyone will grow with us.
But we also allow ourselves to be free and open enough to say, “Hi, my name is…”—meeting new people, forming new relationships, and creating bonds built on love, joy, peace, and understanding.
“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” – Anaïs Nin
Update 2024:
This process of grief has made me reflect even more deeply on self-awareness and growth. Some days, it feels like I’m treading water, but other days, I see the beauty in the journey.
I’ve started to think more about how I can move forward and what lessons I can take from this experience. It’s reminded me that life is constantly shifting, and while grief is painful, it can also push us toward new paths and perspectives.
I’m excited about what’s to come. Whether it’s forming new connections or simply being open to new opportunities, I know this process is shaping me for the better.
Let’s continue to grow, learn, and connect.
