Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
We do not have to get caught in the middle of other people's issues.
-- Melody Beattie
Learning to respect boundaries, our own and other people's, eliminates much of the stress that hinders relationships. Accepting the behavior and the opinions of our friends as legitimate for them allows our relationships to teach us tolerance and patience and love. Our journey on this planet is not about "fixing" or controlling others, but about loving them wholly, just as we want to be loved.
We need other people. Our humanity is enhanced by our mutual experiences. But we also need to let others learn from their mistakes and their own experiences, rather than to help them avoid what they need for their growth. We hate to see our friends in pain. Our compassion is triggered when trouble trips them. But their journey must be inviolate. We'll only prolong their struggle by intervening where we aren't needed.
It's hard to back away when a friend is in trouble. But telling a friend you love and support him or her may give them the strength they need.
We do not have to get caught in the middle of other people's issues.
-- Melody Beattie
Learning to respect boundaries, our own and other people's, eliminates much of the stress that hinders relationships. Accepting the behavior and the opinions of our friends as legitimate for them allows our relationships to teach us tolerance and patience and love. Our journey on this planet is not about "fixing" or controlling others, but about loving them wholly, just as we want to be loved.
We need other people. Our humanity is enhanced by our mutual experiences. But we also need to let others learn from their mistakes and their own experiences, rather than to help them avoid what they need for their growth. We hate to see our friends in pain. Our compassion is triggered when trouble trips them. But their journey must be inviolate. We'll only prolong their struggle by intervening where we aren't needed.
It's hard to back away when a friend is in trouble. But telling a friend you love and support him or her may give them the strength they need.
From the book:
A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey. © 1994 by Hazelden Foundation
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