We’ve all been there – someone treats us poorly, and our first instinct is to take it personally. We wonder what we did wrong, or why they seem to have such an issue with us.
However, most of the time, it has absolutely nothing to do with us at all.
We are complex beings, dealing with their own baggage, their own fears and insecurities. The way they treat others is often just a reflection of the battles they’re fighting within themselves.
Once you can grasp that concept, it becomes so much easier to respond with grace instead of reacting with anger or hurt.
You realize that their behavior isn’t really about you – it’s about them and the demons they’re wrestling with. And from that place of understanding, you can choose to meet negativity and toxicity with kindness and compassion.
It’s not always easy, of course. There will still be times when someone’s actions sting, no matter how well you understand the root cause. But if you can keep coming back to recognizing the human struggle behind the behavior, it gets a little bit easier every time.
So the next time someone treats you in a way that rubs you the wrong way, take a breath, remember that it is not about you, and bring awareness to the internal war they might be waging. “Kill them with kindness” as the saying goes. Because a little grace can go a long way.
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