Don't Take it Personally

Have you ever felt like someone just plunged a dagger into your heart by the words they say or actions they did or did not take?  I know we all have.  When it happens to me, I try to step back from my shock and pain and think about where they are coming from.  In many cases, they didn't see it as something personal.  It was business or just par for the course to them.  I try to give them the benefit of the doubt knowing they don't realize how much pain I am in.

I do this because I don't want to be angry and bitter.  I don't want to hold a grudge as I am apt to do.  I want to logically think about this event that seems so illogical to me.  Thinking about the feelings of someone else is always on my mind.  I never want to say or do something that hurts another person.  This can be an asset or a defect in some situations.  I guess, when those oblivious people hurt me, I want give them just a little bit of the overabundance of concern I seem to carry with me.

It baffles me how insensitive people can be.  We can be completely unaware of how hurtful we are.  We get so consumed with our own lives, with our own agendas, that we don't even think that we can affect others in such a way.  The truth is, when any human being comes in contact with another, they influence the other.  We have the power to make someones day or make someones day terrible.

How can any interaction between two human beings not be personal?  Whether we say it's just business or not, the moment we begin our interaction, some type of feelings begin to develop.  We aren't robots.  We are beings made of flesh and blood.  The arrows of insult don't bounce off of us like we are made of steel.  No, they penetrate and can become infected.

We may not be aware that the fiery arrow we let go was not deflected, and it's recipient is struggling to pull it out of their chest.  We may have gone on with our day without a care, but they are weak and bleeding.  My prayer today is for us to remember how human we are and take that into account when interacting with other people.  My prayer is for those hurting from unintended insults to gather their strength, get up and move on.  You can't lead a happy life without some give and take.