Humans Vs. Nature

Ever since humans have been thrust upon this Earth, it's been a constant battle with their fellow life-forms - nature. This epic battle starts with the generous nature providing food, air, and an environment for their human guests to dwell in. Soon, however, the greed and selfish attitudes of man take too much and give so little, angering nature. Fury arises with storms, hurricanes, and typhoons raging and breaking up the glorious sky. Man combats with the destruction of trees, using technology as its secret weapon and ultimately having the upper-hand in this ever-lasting war. All nature wanted was to provide for the humans, but they wanted more, and by making their lives better, they made nature's life worse. It is only a matter of time until nature grows wary and is defeated, but one cannot exist without the other, so the only losers of this war can be man. The only solution: a balanced coexistence.

Me vs. Me

Without truly knowing it, we all face our toughest battles each and every day with the toughest opponent of all. Ourselves. The heart wants what it wants, yet your brain is pushing you through reason and logic, and by the end, you're in a tug-o-war match with your internal thoughts and feelings. I was asked by a student to recall a challenge I had to overcome and find a lesson out of the hardship. But in order for me to pick out a meaningful lesson, I had to succumb to backing down and allowing the opponent to be won so I could learn something from it, because humans learn most from mistakes and a loss of some sort. That's just how we work... it's selfish really that we cannot open our eyes unless we are halted by some means of a sort, but that's how we, at least I, usually work. 

I always have to be right. Yes, I just exposed my Achilles heel and the one clink in my armor, but this is my hamartia that i struggle to get past. So, the other day when I was driving, my mother told me that I had to turn in a turning lane that I did not see. I did not listen because I thought I was doing everything right and argued that my driving instructor told me otherwise. But, on the day of the test, that was the only mistake I made, not turning from that lane. The stabbing of the knife through my heart from the mistake got twisted by the handle because my mother was right and if I had listened to her, I could have prevented it. I vowed to never argue with the advice she or anyone of that matter, kindly offers to me and to not set my pride and dignity on the weight of always being right, because I am not. 

Listening is sometimes better than talking, 
 Allison :)