"The path from love to hate..."

I remember being told that love and hate are very close to each other, but I suggest that whilst this is true, we have the choice as to how close we allow these emotions to be or become.

Clearly in life we have choices, and with each decision we make, we must face the subsequent consequences. Every decision taken impacts our life as it affects our causality by taking us on a certain path. Many people make these decisions somewhat "blindly" as they fail to weigh up each possibility. Others recognize those consequences and choose to "bury their heads" in the sand, rather than facing those adversities or indeed positives. Some navigate to the other side remaining positive throughout whatever situation is presented before them.

Personally I see life as a journey with a series of tests or challenges. How you react and deal with those situations shape you as a person for better or worse. Ultimately, we learn from those situations and each day on the planet should be utilized as an opportunity to develop. Our ultimate success is judged by our relationships with the people around us, and not by money acquired or tangible assets. This statement may surprise some, however when you consider that you cannot take chattels with you, they are merely for our use in life; then it does seem as though people are the one thing that really matters.

We all begin life completely innocent and void of any hate, which begs the question as to why some people become consumed by this destructive emotion.

Here are some reasons which I suggest may cause this: -

1. Bad experiences happening to them;

2. Economic and social hardships;

3. Isolation in the community;

4. Adverse media in newspapers and television;

5. Poor role models and peers;

6. Low emotional intelligence.

Now we have many reasons why these things can impact and change us, however as stated earlier we have choices in life. Ultimately, we are the master of our own destiny, and must accept responsibility for the decisions that we take. Life is not easy, as a series of unrelenting challenges are placed before us, where we are expected to navigate a path through. There is no right or wrong path, as we sometimes need to experience adversity or hurt to shape our character. We cannot know true love until we experience hurt and loss, so it is important to have a full complement of events in life.

It may be easier to look at life as a long journey filled with adventures on the way. We are presented with paths that we can choose to take or decline; some of which are more convenient to our ultimate destination. We become the man or woman that we are, because of those choices, so please be sure to choose well!