(From the wonderful Despair.com)
*****
Somewhat relatedly. Social workers and others in mental health like to post little bits of encouragement on their office wall. Except, admonishments to be kind or to listen have one meaning if they are reminders to oneself, and quite another if they are little snippy sermons directed at everyone else. I have written Don't Take It Personally across the top line of my notepad for years. It is there because that is one of my downfalls, and I need to tell myself frequently throughout the day. It might mean something much less attractive if I were saying it to others.
6 comments:
I suspect such affirmations are more toxic for the rich (like most Americans). Maybe they're even helpful for the afflicted, though I'm dubious.
I may be the most important person in my life, but I'm pretty danged sure I'm not in your life. I can deal with that.
Most moralizing is a great idea when directed at ourselves, and perilous when directed at others.
I've been working really hard lately at staying courteous and on-point in on-line discussions, because I'm running for local office, and most of the action this time around is on Facebook rather than in public rallies or speeches. Note to self: no snark, no snark, no snark.
I have gotten better over the years, but remain generally terrible.
I'm enjoying a moment of trying to deal with a friend of my mother's, who is incredible in both her capacity to overrun and push past her 'friend's' clearly expressed wishes, and also her immediate rejection of any criticism that she might be doing so. Ordinarily I would skin a person like this alive, but she is a friend of my mother's doing something my mother has asked her to do, so I'm enduring it with the courtesy proper to a dutiful son.
So far.
Good son Grim. Grit your teeth and do whatever you need to do to enduuuuurrrrrre.
Post a Comment