Off the top of my head just now. Hope you like it. Love to you. C.A.
Beating Yourself Up
Beating Yourself Up
Well, I royally screwed up at work yesterday, and this morning, I guess I was beating myself up some, but then I contacted who I needed to, remained honest, and regrouped, because I know I'm too hard on myself at times, and when I'm too hard on myself, I'm often too hard on others as well. And later on, I'm always reminded that oftentimes, I simply don't know all of the information. And sometimes, I just fuck up and learn from it.
And then, I thought about last week, when that woman at the grocery took the last bag of chips right from under my hand ... well, maybe, at home, her husband abuses her, and if she doesn't bring the right chips home, there will be hell to pay. Who knows? That woman yesterday -- the one who gave me a downright evil look because I was in her way -- perhaps she has cancer, and she's late for a doctor's appointment, and there I was, holding her back from a crucial visit. I have no idea, really. Yeah, I don't know. It's OK to not know. And she had no idea what I was struggling with either.
And then, I thought about last week, when that woman at the grocery took the last bag of chips right from under my hand ... well, maybe, at home, her husband abuses her, and if she doesn't bring the right chips home, there will be hell to pay. Who knows? That woman yesterday -- the one who gave me a downright evil look because I was in her way -- perhaps she has cancer, and she's late for a doctor's appointment, and there I was, holding her back from a crucial visit. I have no idea, really. Yeah, I don't know. It's OK to not know. And she had no idea what I was struggling with either.
But be easy, be compassionate.
When it comes down to it, and when I see these strangers, what I see is a mere glimpse, and what they see of me is the same. Just as they have no idea what I may be grappling with today, when they come to me as a momentary snapshot of who they are, I have no idea about the culmination of their life's pains and challenges. Same goes for the internet -- day in, day out, we see stark images of people's lives, but the true, whole story remains unseen. Smiling in the picture? Sure. But behind the scenes, maybe a person is curling up on the floor, weeping. And surely, at times, they are. Because we're all human. No one escapes the gamut of feelings.
Be easy on yourself today. Be easy on others. I have to remember that often, I don't know all of the information. I may not know someone's history, current setbacks, and the like. And for sure, when I am stressed or acting out of character, as I was yesterday, there is always a reason. Same for others. Maybe it's deep-seated, from the past. Or maybe it's a current problem lurking on the brain, but whatever it is, overall, there is a reason, albeit complex at times.
Today, let me treat myself with care and compassion. Let me have empathy for others. Because when I see your face, your actions, and your gestures, it is merely a surface glimpse of who you really are as a whole. Regardless of the encounter, let me react with grace and ease...and save myself and you from added stress, because we all surely need to feel safe.
Seems to me, from billionaires to street punks, we're all searching for some kind of family, comfort, and peace. So, I can stop beating myself up, and I can ease up on the rest of the world as well. Because some days, I'm no more than a reactive kid, kicking and screaming, but in reality, I'm seeking out what I know as this: home.
C.A. MacConnell
When it comes down to it, and when I see these strangers, what I see is a mere glimpse, and what they see of me is the same. Just as they have no idea what I may be grappling with today, when they come to me as a momentary snapshot of who they are, I have no idea about the culmination of their life's pains and challenges. Same goes for the internet -- day in, day out, we see stark images of people's lives, but the true, whole story remains unseen. Smiling in the picture? Sure. But behind the scenes, maybe a person is curling up on the floor, weeping. And surely, at times, they are. Because we're all human. No one escapes the gamut of feelings.
Be easy on yourself today. Be easy on others. I have to remember that often, I don't know all of the information. I may not know someone's history, current setbacks, and the like. And for sure, when I am stressed or acting out of character, as I was yesterday, there is always a reason. Same for others. Maybe it's deep-seated, from the past. Or maybe it's a current problem lurking on the brain, but whatever it is, overall, there is a reason, albeit complex at times.
Today, let me treat myself with care and compassion. Let me have empathy for others. Because when I see your face, your actions, and your gestures, it is merely a surface glimpse of who you really are as a whole. Regardless of the encounter, let me react with grace and ease...and save myself and you from added stress, because we all surely need to feel safe.
Seems to me, from billionaires to street punks, we're all searching for some kind of family, comfort, and peace. So, I can stop beating myself up, and I can ease up on the rest of the world as well. Because some days, I'm no more than a reactive kid, kicking and screaming, but in reality, I'm seeking out what I know as this: home.
C.A. MacConnell
