{"id":2136,"date":"2019-09-29T20:25:42","date_gmt":"2019-09-29T20:25:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/?post_type=project&#038;p=2136"},"modified":"2026-08-07T18:34:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:34:43","slug":"lesson-themes-for-this-life","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/project\/lesson-themes-for-this-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Lesson Themes For This Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is said that we come into this life in agreement to learn a set of lessons that will ultimately move us towards further self-realization and understanding. If so, what are the lessons that I agreed to for this life? Can I look back and see themes? These lessons come in the form of challenges. I often find myself saying that I love a good challenge. Of course I prefer the happy ones over the painful ones. So let\u2019s look at my life challenge by challenge, noting the lessons that I took from each. After 44 years there ought to be a pattern here.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Abject misery in preschool,&nbsp;elementary and middle school &#8211; I am ultimately on my own and need to be a self contained unit. Independence. I am not like the others. That\u2019s OK. Focus on work. I do not desire social interaction or approval like the others do. That\u2019s OK too. [<strong>independence, freedom from social norms<\/strong>]<\/li><li>Unfulfilled desire in the teenage years to be an artist, thinker and composer &#8211; I need to define what I want, make my own independent plans to make it happen, and speak my truth. [<strong>know your truth, speak your truth, live your truth<\/strong>]<\/li><li>First marriage &#8211; I have to stand up for what I want. I deserve to be loved for who I am. I deserve to be respected. I deserve kindness. I am worthy. I am capable. Nobody knows me better than I do. Stand up for yourself. [<strong>know your truth, speak your truth, protect yourself, boundaries<\/strong>]<\/li><li>Divorce &#8211; money makes people show their true nature. People may be willing to lie, cheat and harm. Freedom is worth it. I can competently captain my own ship. I am capable. [<strong>the nature and effect of money, boundaries, protect yourself, everything is fine, speak your truth, freedom is bliss, self-respect<\/strong>]<\/li><li>Financial ruin &#8211; irresponsible use of money leads to all manner of pain. Who you are when you are at bottom is key. Respecting your money is part of respecting yourself. [<strong>the nature and effect of money, boundaries, self-respect, self-love]<\/strong><\/li><li>Self ruin (dark night of the soul) &#8211; I must respect myself more. I must love myself enough to protect myself. I am more than this. [<strong>self-respect, Self-love, boundaries, protect yourself physically, psychologically, emotionally and financially<\/strong>]<\/li><li>Unpacking my baggage with my soulmate &#8211; it\u2019s Ok to ask for help, recognize when baggage is affecting you. Real divine love heals all. [<strong>divine love, healing, how money is an extension of ourselves<\/strong>]<\/li><li>Getting out of debt and saving for our dreams [<strong>The nature and effect of money as an extension of ourselves, know your truth, speak your truth, boundaries, self-discipline<\/strong>]<\/li><li>Becoming the artist, thinker and composer that I always wanted to be [<strong>know your truth, speak your truth, live your truth<\/strong>]<\/li><li>A scattering of injuries and hospital visits &#8211; This is not so scary. You are never alone, even when you are alone, self-reliance [<strong>boundaries, protect yourself, everything is fine, speak up<\/strong>]<\/li><li>Temporary loss of adult children &#8211; not all loss is bad, only judgement decides it is bad. Children come and go. Do not attach your dreams to someone else. Expectation is attachment. You have no idea what is right for someone else. When money is involved, no relationship can be pure. &nbsp;[<strong>the nature and effect of money,&nbsp;not judging, letting go, allowing change, gratitude<\/strong>]<\/li><li>Liquidating or donating 95% of our possessions &#8211; money as freedom. How we attach energy and meaning to objects and how to take that energy and meaning back. Who we are without all these things. Letting go of history and trusting in the future. Allowing the natural evolution that comes with all experiences. [<strong>the nature and effect of possessions and money, letting go, allowing, recognizing true self<\/strong>]<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The repeating themes are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Know your truth, speak your truth, live your truth<\/li><li>Protect yourself \/ boundaries (based on self-respect and love)<\/li><li>The nature and effect of money (on people, relationships, as extension of self)<\/li><li>Freedom is everything<\/li><li>Letting go \/&nbsp;Allowing evolution without fear<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Possible future lessons in line with these themes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The nature and effect of large scale wealth on the individual and humanity at large&nbsp;<\/li><li>Continuing lessons on knowing, speaking and living your truth&nbsp;<\/li><li>Continuing lessons on boundaries and self-protection<\/li><li>Embracing \/ celebrating continual change \/ evolution<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What are the recurring themes in your life? What lessons seem to play a major role?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A reflective life review tracing the author&#8217;s challenges across 44 years \u2014 schooling, marriage, divorce, financial ruin, and letting go of possessions and grown children \u2014 to surface recurring lessons about truth, boundaries, the effect of money, and freedom through letting go.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1001,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"project_category":[1886,31],"project_tag":[1673,36,654,180,280,649,981,947,1452,1671,153,1672,977,949,1248,655,302,186,979,285,978,284,980,605,1361,283,1674],"series":[],"class_list":["post-2136","project","type-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","project_category-57challenges","project_category-observations","project_tag-analysis","project_tag-art","project_tag-complete-connection","project_tag-connection","project_tag-cycle","project_tag-cycle-of-human-development","project_tag-finding-peace","project_tag-human-development","project_tag-lasting-peace","project_tag-lessons","project_tag-life","project_tag-life-lessons","project_tag-life-optimization","project_tag-managing-challenges","project_tag-poetry","project_tag-purna-asatti","project_tag-religion","project_tag-science","project_tag-seeing-yourself","project_tag-self-growth","project_tag-self-mastery","project_tag-self-development","project_tag-self-improvement-2","project_tag-self-understanding","project_tag-spirituality","project_tag-stages","project_tag-themes"],"acf":{"recommend_blurb":"For readers who want to map the patterns in their own lives, this personal accounting models how to extract recurring lessons from hardship and joy alike, and invites you to name your own life themes.","citation_snippet":"Dr. Kathryn Messegee (Kathryn Colleen), \"Lesson Themes For This Life,\" https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/project\/lesson-themes-for-this-life\/","topics":["growth","money","essays"],"related_book":"","buy_url":""},"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Bored-coffee-shop.png","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CCA57320-6DC3-4284-BC27-49E433028503.jpeg","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/on-life-being-human\/id1360368906","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/2nq6d35q9nFAFlanaJc2Do","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/feed\/podcast\/on-life-being-human","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"BRY0Dgs0sI\"><a href=\"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/project\/lesson-themes-for-this-life\/\">Lesson Themes For This Life<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/project\/lesson-themes-for-this-life\/embed\/#?secret=BRY0Dgs0sI\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Lesson Themes For This Life&#8221; &#8212; Dr. Kathryn Colleen, PhD\" data-secret=\"BRY0Dgs0sI\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! 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