One of the major reasons for unhappiness is the decline in our interpersonal relationships.
We feel hurt several times daily by the doings and undoings of people we love and care about, and even people who barely know us.
It could be stressful dealing with people sometimes because we are social beings and like it or not, we desire to be loved and respected.
The purpose of my letter today is to remind you that we cannot let the behavior of people draw us into our shells and prevent us from living and loving to the fullest.
I have come to embrace the notion that we humans are flawed, and for this reason, I have decided that every now and again I will cut people some slack.
Knowing what I know now, it is the right thing to do and quite frankly, it has brought me more peace than I thought was possible.
It is tough enough being a human. A lot of us have had really bad experiences and have changed negatively through no fault of ours. There are mountains everywhere to climb and our quest to get to the other side causes us to dabble into not-so-great paths. I have met people on questionable paths and at some point in my life I have been the one on such paths.
Nothing anyone says or does is because of you. When it comes to the bad behavior of others, remember that you’re just standing in the target zone. You are collateral damage in their war with themselves.
– Don Miguel Ruiz
There will be betrayals, abandonment, and the like when we least expect it from people we love, and from strangers alike. We must resolve to cut people slack and strive to free people of our expectations of them. Let them live.
I believe humans are fundamentally good, if not, why do we gravitate toward those who allow us to be our best selves? We all strive for something greater and purer than ourselves. Some people spend decades without considering self-improvement, yet suddenly, upon becoming parents, they seek to become better. That is why you hear people say after the birth of their first child, ‘ Motherhood changed me’. ‘I just want to be a great example for my kids’
This is to say, we cherish purity and goodness and only shy away from it when we feel undeserving.
If you take one thing away from today’s letter, let it be this: we are inherently good, though we sometimes make poor choices.
Hurt people, hurt people. So instead of wasting our energy hating on people who hurt us, let us just set them free. It is hard enough already being the kind of person that hurts others. It must be hard for them to live with themselves because they must be experiencing some level of hell themselves.
It is our responsibility to challenge ourselves daily to be good, think positively, avoid gossip, and then observe how our perception of ourselves changes.
Strive to be better, be kinder, develop a positive attitude, be more grateful, and complain less, and one day, you will look in the mirror and you will fall in love with the transformation staring back at you.
The best part of this transformation is the world will see us as we see ourselves and people will treat us better.
Reflection/ Try this today
- What little misdeeds from people you care about in your life do you want to cut them some slack for?
- How can I make a habit of freeing people of the expectations I have of them? Encourage people to be themselves and not just what you want them to be.
- How can I stop sweating the small stuff?
- How can I develop a more positive attitude in every area of my life?
Quote of the week
The majority of human beings have wonderful hearts and they will show them to you if you make them feel safe.
– Robin Sharma
I am so excited that I can be part of your week and I hope you are inspired each week to live intentionally.
