Remember 

“Two things to remember in life: Take care of your thoughts when you are alone; and, Take care of your words when you are with people”     Author unknown

I have had this quote scribbled on a note page for a long time but it was one of those things that I would always forget about until each time I happened to see it again.   Do you ever do that – collect little things or thoughts because you have a hunch that one day they’ll mean more to you?   That’s what this was.   

I’ve been alone a lot lately, and for an extrovert like myself it’s difficult to spend so much time only in my own company.  Don’t get me wrong, I like my own company, but I have a brain that is wired to get energy and ideas from external sources.  I come to life after being surrounded by conversation.  That’s why the first part of this quote struck me tonight, because I don’t want to risk ruining this time by wallowing in the fear that I might fade away into nothing if I don’t connect with someone soon.    They say travelling alone is the best way to find yourself – well I have and I know I need groups of friends around me!  

Our thoughts steer us so much more than we realize, just like our words can have a bigger impact on people than we know.   I admit to being careless with this sometimes, too.  Is it narcissistic to sometimes forget that others think differently than I do?  I’ve hurt people with comments I’ve said before the thought was fully formed, or not seeing that it might come across other than I had intended.  I’m sorry, and I’m working on it! 

I haven’t met any new buddies this past week while I’ve been travelling, and for me it gets harder to do so the longer it goes on this way.   There have been friendly conversations at dinner and with people sharing my hostel room, but no one that I’ve connected with enough to make us want to hang out more. And I miss that.     Thankfully I have a couple lifelines at home, and a good conversation with my best friend is all I needed to feel better again.   
If you like this quote too, feel free to use the image I made. (The background picture is from my walk on the Charles Bridge in Prague yesterday morning, in case you were wondering… )    Oh, and if you know where this quote originally came from please tell me!