Daily Question, July 20 What shifts when I see myself in those who have wronged me or hurt others? 28 Reflections Share Click here to cancel reply.Please log in or Create a Profile to post a comment. Notify me when someone replies to my comment via e-mail. KC3 weeks agoKCIt helps to take the sting away, and shift my thinking and response in the direction of compassion, understanding and forgiveness. 0 Reply shaketa3 weeks agoshaketaabsolutely humility 3 Reply Anonymous3 weeks agoAnonymousHumility shifts, my perspective changes, heartfelt regrets are made. Not asking for anything in return. I keep thinking I share from a place of autonomy, no shame, no guilt. You don’t know, what you don’t know, even when you need too. 3 Reply Mica3 weeks agoMicaI’m grateful when I have that recognition – recently, in the unfortunate woman who drove her car into mine 🙁 , in its condo parking space, smashing it dreadfully, and then wanted to blame everything except herself. I’m grateful when I remember, ‘the driver could have been me.’ 😐 But we will avoid each other! One of my hall-mates reported that the woman was still blaming others, in the jacuzzi… But happily, 2.5 months, 4 auto body shops, and 2 insurance companies lager, my car w...I’m grateful when I have that recognition – recently, in the unfortunate woman who drove her car into mine 🙁 , in its condo parking space, smashing it dreadfully, and then wanted to blame everything except herself. I’m grateful when I remember, ‘the driver could have been me.’ 😐 But we will avoid each other! One of my hall-mates reported that the woman was still blaming others, in the jacuzzi… But happily, 2.5 months, 4 auto body shops, and 2 insurance companies lager, my car was finally fixed 🙂 Read More2 Reply Hermann-Josef3 weeks agoHermann-JosefSometimes we have to play the role of the good, sometimes we are the bad. Sometimes even without knowing it. These are all games of the mind. I don ´t want to hurt anybody , yet it happens. It shifts my view from the outsideworld into my heart. And remembers me who we really are 8 Reply Barb C3 weeks agoBarb CThis initially felt like the opposite of what I try to do if someone says something hurtful. In that moment I remind myself that what they say reflects on them and what's happening internally for them--that it isn't about me at all, not really. They may be speaking out of pain I don't know about. I can add this layer, of remembering a time when I've done that exact thing, and that will add empathy. I've taken training on dignity-infused community engagement within the transportation realm wit...This initially felt like the opposite of what I try to do if someone says something hurtful. In that moment I remind myself that what they say reflects on them and what’s happening internally for them–that it isn’t about me at all, not really. They may be speaking out of pain I don’t know about. I can add this layer, of remembering a time when I’ve done that exact thing, and that will add empathy. I’ve taken training on dignity-infused community engagement within the transportation realm with the Thrivance Group. It provides new perspectives on thinking about what it means to work in a trauma-informed way, to explicitly recognize the elements of dignity and create space for someone to express and define what it means to them to be treated with dignity. I hadn’t yet connected that with this kind of scenario but now I will–it isn’t just for community engagement, it’s for everyday interactions. https://thrivancegroup.com/dicemethod Related, particularly with respect to those who hurt others whether explicitly or by staying comfortable within power structures that hurt others–I recently went through some training that I need to revisit to remind myself of some of the techniques we learned and practiced. This was the Barnraisers Project–highly recommended if you want to work on organizing in an explicitly anti-racist way as a white person https://www.barnraisersproject.org/. It embeds approaches that involve respecting everyone (meaning everyone, not just people who agree with me), and talking with people who are far apart from me on how US society treats people who have been racialized through generations of power deployed to protect systems of white supremacy. Read More4 Reply Charlie T3 weeks agoCharlie TWhen I can be present and I can step back and be the observer, I can see the hurt and suffering that is in all of us. I am currently reading “A new earth” by Eckhart Tolle. This book is transforming my view and really giving me so much to think about. The first bit of this book was kinda hard to absorb, but I’m so glad I kept going. How did I not know about this guy? 5 Reply Laura3 weeks agoLauraThat’s a great book. Glad you’re enjoying it! 2 Reply sparrow3 weeks agosparrowDear Charlie . . . Eckhart Tolle helped me put the pieces together, and changed my life forever . . . now, all previous wisdom offered to me makes sense. 4 Reply Yram3 weeks agoYramA major situation came up yesterday. This question of the day is perfect timing. I will ponder this with open heart and bring it to prayer. 2 Reply GR8FULL3 weeks agoGR8FULLI am so grateful for today’s question as I don’t recall ever looking at things this way but it makes complete sense and I immediately see the value in it. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I have been going through a traumatic divorce for the past 4 years so I have a lot of moments to reflect on. The first thing that shifts is my perspective/mindset, as I move from anger, contempt and pride to empathy, compassion, and forgiveness. Hopefully I will look for these similarities from this day fo...I am so grateful for today’s question as I don’t recall ever looking at things this way but it makes complete sense and I immediately see the value in it. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I have been going through a traumatic divorce for the past 4 years so I have a lot of moments to reflect on. The first thing that shifts is my perspective/mindset, as I move from anger, contempt and pride to empathy, compassion, and forgiveness. Hopefully I will look for these similarities from this day forward and benefit from this wisdom. thank you. Read More3 Reply Charlie T3 weeks agoCharlie TGR8FULL, so sorry you’re going through this. Four years is such a long time. It’s been two years since my divorce. I hope you can find some relief and release soon. 3 Reply GR8FULL3 weeks agoGR8FULLThank you Charlie T. Your wisdom and insight has helped me tremendously. It has been the most challenging time of my life but I am truly grateful for the learning experience. It took me 3 years to come to that conclusion but I now believe wholeheartedly the universe prescribed this path for me. I cannot envision how a different, less invasive, path would’ve exposed my shortcomings, while at the same time inspiring me to take corrective actions. In fact, my ex-partner/ex-wife of 30/23 year...Thank you Charlie T. Your wisdom and insight has helped me tremendously. It has been the most challenging time of my life but I am truly grateful for the learning experience. It took me 3 years to come to that conclusion but I now believe wholeheartedly the universe prescribed this path for me. I cannot envision how a different, less invasive, path would’ve exposed my shortcomings, while at the same time inspiring me to take corrective actions. In fact, my ex-partner/ex-wife of 30/23 years apologized to me yesterday – for the first time in a long time – with an unfamiliar level of sincerity and authenticity. My children are having the same welcomed experience. I bring this up not to point a finger at her but to illustrate how everyone and everything around me is learning and growing from this tragedy. I am truly GR8FULL. Read More1 Reply sparrow3 weeks agosparrow…that they are as vulnerable as I… 4 Reply Laura3 weeks agoLauraI feel compassion for them. We all have our stumbles and bumbles. 4 Reply EJP3 weeks agoEJPDeep understanding and sincere forgiveness. 3 Reply Rabbit3 weeks agoRabbitI have often thought and sometimes said that God puts people in our path so that we can see ourselves. That is usually regarding something I need to improve. Interesting I never even thought of it, until typing this, that is might also apply to something positive. I read a book recently where the mom kept telling her daughter be better do better. So someone someone hurting me can be the call for me to look within and see if I need to be better do better. 3 Reply Laura3 weeks agoLaura“God puts people in our path so that we can see ourselves.” Thank you, Rabbit. Reminds me of the wisdom that those who we dislike can be our greatest teachers. 2 Reply Rabbit3 weeks agoRabbitExactly! Thank you Laura. It is a hard lesson to accept. 2 Reply Carla3 weeks agoCarlaMy view, the lens in which I review the situation can transition to compassion, mercy, and forgiveness, for myself and the others. 3 Reply Kevin3 weeks agoKevinWhen I see myself in those who have wronged or hurt me, I am immediately reminded of the phrase, “We speak from where we hurt.“ And if a verbal response from me is expected in that moment, I’m apt to say, “I am sorry that you feel that way“ That way, the exchange is complete and it allows me not to internalize the hurtful comment until I have time for further personal reflection. 8 Reply Michele3 weeks agoMicheleForgiveness. 3 Reply Eeevvv3 weeks agoEeevvvI try to understand them by remembering what it felt like to be in that situation to me and I show them tolerance and compassion but these feelings aren’t limitless. I’ve hurt people, I’ve asked for forgiveness and then I tried to be better so I expect that others do the same (with their timing). It doesn’t feel right to me to forgive someone who is not interested in forgiveness and doesn’t face the process of it. I’d like to be better than that but today that’s my limit, tomorrow ...I try to understand them by remembering what it felt like to be in that situation to me and I show them tolerance and compassion but these feelings aren’t limitless. I’ve hurt people, I’ve asked for forgiveness and then I tried to be better so I expect that others do the same (with their timing). It doesn’t feel right to me to forgive someone who is not interested in forgiveness and doesn’t face the process of it. I’d like to be better than that but today that’s my limit, tomorrow maybe it’ll be different because I try to improve myself everyday. Read More5 Reply Barb C3 weeks agoBarb CI wouldn’t change from this at all, Eeevvv. I can choose not to keep dwelling on the actions of others and move on to give myself space and grace, but that isn’t the same thing as forgiveness of someone who has not yet accepted accountability for their actions. Forgiveness isn’t automatically owed. Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg has a book out on this that I’m planning to read, On Repentance and Repair, that may interest you. 4 Reply Eeevvv3 weeks agoEeevvvDear Barb C, thank you for the reflection, I will definitely read it. I’m always happy when I discover a new book! 2 Reply Don Jones3 weeks agoDon JonesIt provides an opportunity to shift the outlook from out bound (blame, judging, etc.) to an internal reflection (empathy, personal responsibility, compassion, etc.) 6 Reply Maria Martins3 weeks agoMaria MartinsI forgive them and I forgive myself, because a situation in life, a problem, a difficult moment can lead us to hurt people. 4 Reply Christine3 weeks agoChristineThat’s hard for me, putting myself in other people’s thinking, being or deeds. I know of myself that I have hurt others, but no one could look inside my head and see the reason why I did it. I won’t excuse myself either, but I will try to forgive myself. Maybe that’s where my answer lies. Maybe I’ll turn into a more forgiving person. 8 Reply My Private Gratitude Journal Write an entry in your private gratefulness journal Get Started This site is brought to you by A Network for Grateful Living, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. 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