Do you look outside your square?

[Bathsheba]

I've been able to see/think outside the square a bit better as I have grown older. I was definitely more paranoid and self centred as a youngster... kind of until I had my second child (about 35) then I guess life really started to get hectic (at home as opposed to life outside the home) and draining and I had to start to decide which things/people were really worth worrying about.

But I also grew more confident of my emotional reaction to things and more tolerant of others as a compromise. Essentially I was able to/had to decide who was worth really caring about and who i couldn't help at this time... and when i decided who I cared about I decided to really care... instead of kinda half caring about everyone. IYKWIM? It became quality vs quantity.

I still find it tricky to strike the perfect balance... but I also don't expect instant results as much as I did earlier in life. I have really learned to slow down. Because of this I find that I am able to have a better look outside my own square... and I notice more stuff than I did before. I think when people become time poor this is one of the first things to suffer: being able to see beyond themselves. I don't always get it right... but I'm less scared of dealing with the consequences of upsetting someone because these days I feel ok about apologizing if I get it wrong. And I still get it wrong