Before criticizing a person who is selfish to the point of hurtfulness, consider how much fear and insecurity that person must have to believe that the only way to get ahead in life is to do so in spite of others. Selfishness, especially when taken to the extreme, is the outward manifestation of fear. It…
Distance for Self-Protection
Some of us need to protect ourselves from other people’s problems and personalities, and that’s okay. There are certain people who are empathetic to the point that they find it difficult to maintain boundaries between other people’s emotions and their own. They feel other people’s problems as if they are theirs as well. Depending on…
On Conflict and Calm
Before jumping into another person’s battle, first ask yourself whether or not their cause is righteous and just, and whether or not they actually need your help. In a day and age where so much conflict is public and publicized, it is easier than ever to find ourselves leaping to the defense of a friend,…
Communicating for Understanding
To communicate is not merely to speak, but to be heard, and, more so, to be understood. Often, we believe that simply by expressing ourselves that we are communicating. The problem is that communication is a two-way street. That which is expressed must actually be understood by the recipient in order for communication to have…
Truth and Peace
Peace is found beyond belief, within the grey areas of truth and contradiction. Living with a mindset that rejects contradictions to our perceived truth puts us in a constant state of conflict, both internally and externally. It puts us in a place where we are reactionary towards that which disagrees with what we hold true….