The world has been fascinating. It has been different since the reset from the death of George Floyd and the COVID-19 shutdown. It is bizarre that there is a bubble around what you should and shouldn’t say, especially around race and other cultures. As a people, we can’t get to a place where we accept each other for who we are. For example, if my neighbor is struggling with anxiety or because they don’t want anyone to walk on their grass, how does that hurt me?
If my neighbor is struggling, couldn’t I have compassion for them? I wonder about these things all the time.
I don’t know if others wonder about this, but I do. I wonder why we are not kind to each other, and then I think about Cheri Huber’s book There is Nothing Wrong With You. When I read the first couple of pages of that book, it just caught my breath. I was overwhelmed. If you haven’t read the book, the first couple of pages are quotes parents say to kids, like “Why did you do that?” or “What were you thinking?” Passages like these filled the pages. And seeing all of those quotes in one place at one time is so overwhelming.
It made me think about what I say, what comes out of my mouth, and what I say intentionally or unintentionally that is harmful.
All of us would benefit if we thought for a minute before saying things that are harmful to other people.
How can we all change and make this world better? How about if we would not judge others?
Why am I writing about this?
I’m writing about it because when I started trauma healing for myself, there was a gigantic package of Judgment right in the middle of my healing. I judged myself a lot.
I lacked compassion for myself, so I had little compassion for others. One of the first things I needed to do was be kind to myself. I needed to love myself; I needed to care for myself. This may seem like 1960s “woo-woo,” but it’s not because for me to be of service in the world, I need to be at home first, which starts with me.
Start with yourself if you struggle with the world, neighbor, or coworker. Take care of yourself; there are tools on this site to help you take care of yourself.
Try the free resources, and please let me know how it works out.