In life, everything comes back, it is just a matter of time ...
The proverb "you reap what you sow" is the loose translation of the Latin phrase "ut sementem feceris, ita metes", attributed to the Roman politician Lucio Pinario.
The expression basically means that we are the architects of our destiny and that what we do, in the end always comes back --- all we have to do is wait. Time is the measure of all things, establishing "later" the value of what was done "before".
If it is true that we are free to control our actions the same cannot be said for the consequences. A gesture or a word can have unpredictable effects, perhaps not immediately but in the long term. Time will decide what was right or wrong and time will be the judge.
Our present condition is almost always the result of what we have done in the past. We often do not accept it because, even if we originally made some mistakes, our intentions were basically good. Not always is the present evil the fruit of a past bad action, sometimes it is enough to have simply ignored or not have understood all the possible repercussions.
Being responsible for our actions is not the goal but only the starting point. We must never forget that each of us has obligations towards others. What we do, say or think has the power to produce well-being for ourselves and for others.
Admitting that we are the architect of our own life, both for the good and the bad is a great demonstration of humility and courage. There are circumstances in which at some point in life, one finds oneself alone and isolated, but rather than blaming someone else, often the main cause is the way we have managed our relationships. Accepting this truth is fundamental in order to grow and change for the better.
Some tips to become more aware of our actions:
- Learn empathy. Words, actions, and intentions are communications that are directed towards others. Therefore, we must understand how to interact positively by being able to quickly identify equivocations and misunderstandings.
- Stop interacting only according to your own needs. Putting always and only your own needs in front of everyone else is a good way to make scorched earth around you. You cannot think you can only take without ever giving, because people will soon end up distancing themselves from you.
- True freedom imposes limits. Being truly responsible means knowing the boundaries within which one can move. This may mean perhaps being "a little less free", but this is part of social interaction and respecting others. To curb one's own independence is to promote that of others, in a virtuous cycle of mutual benefit.
- Do not wait for time to decide for you. The result of whatever we do can really only be seen at the end, but we can train ourselves to imagine what impact our action can have and immediately take control of it.
