Who do you become?

Man oh man have the last few years brought out some of the best and some of the worst in people! It's amazing to see how change, pressure, and the "unknown" hit folks differently. When the shelter-in-place orders started being rolled out across the country, I saw a quote online that said: 

“The virus is enhancing what is already inside of each person. Jerks are turning into bigger jerks. Compassionate people are becoming more compassionate. You get to decide in this very difficult time who you really are. Hopefully, we all make the right decision –James Tucher.”

I love this. I love this more now than ever before. I love this because it is a perfect example of how unique each person is and how each of us is in a different place in our spiritual growth and personal development journey. Here’s the thing; your partner, your kiddo, and your best friend are all in different places. They are all experiencing each life event in their own way, and it is unique to them. Just like your experience is unique to you. We must always offer some grace to each other as we go through this journey called life. As we begin to face new challenges with inflation and supply shortages, it is just as important to offer grace to one another (and ourselves) now, as it was during the height of the pandemic. 

Your soul is on this earth to learn and grow, and we have certainly been provided with some great opportunities to do that lately! Each person's lesson will be different though. As in most other occasions in our lives, those around us may not be in the same place as we are. They may take the long way around on their way to the answers. They may not go through this the way you would. That is okay. It is okay because you’re not living their life. You are living your life. You have muttered to your kids at least once in their life, “you just worry about you, okay.” Yes, Mom-now you do the same. You just do you, okay? You become more compassionate. You become more grounded. More present. More balanced. You become stronger from these trials we're facing instead of letting them do you in. And you watch others do whatever they are going to do without judgment. There’s more than one way to skin a cat, as the saying goes.  

I know it is difficult to watch the ones we love make choices that we may not “approve of.” You may even think to yourself, “if they would just do x,y,z, they sure would be better off.” But it is not your choice to make. It is not your life to live. They are the ones who live with their decisions, with their behaviors, and with the outcomes of their choices. Step back and give them all the space to learn and grow, the way that you need space to learn and grow yourself.

Just like teaching your kids how to ride their bikes. You know when you let go of that seat they are probably going to tip over. And you let them do it anyway because that is how they learn. You must let go of others’ decisions and let them either stay the course or tip over. Either way, you will support them, cheer them on, or clean up skinned knees. Your job is to let your compassion shine and not to judge. You can’t make the choices for them, you don’t get to judge them, and you don’t get to criticize them. You choose to be more compassionate. You hold space and you love.  

So who do you become under pressure? Do you become more compassionate, or do you become bitter? If you're finding yourself to be a little less compassionate than you'd like, I'd love to help you out. Let's schedule a time to chat soon!