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| Saint Francis of Assisi Original Artist Unconfirmed http://www.catholic.org/ |
Lord, make an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen
I share this prayer today, not to impose Catholicism or Christianity upon anyone, but to ask you to examine the words of this the prayer. If you don't like the word prayer, then think of it as poetry. Please read them aloud, listen to them, and take them to heart.
I see a great many situations that degenerate from righteous indignation to bullying, with intolerance, anger, and utter disdain along the way.
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| Redemption, by Ric Larson Welded Steel on Stone http://fineartamerica.com/.... No Copyright Infringement Intended |
When someone does not meet my expectations, the first thing that I have to examine myself. Am I being realistic and reasonable? Does the person have the faculties and the tools to fulfill what I wanted?
Assuming that the answer to both of those questions is "Yes," someone is going to hear about it, but not until I confirm the root cause of the problems - poor planning or faulty execution.
We have the right to express frustration. While I would never wish to take that away from anyone, my concerns are relative to the manner in which people conduct themselves. Swearing does not go very far with me, and it often causes me to dismiss arguments wholesale.
If someone genuinely fails, we must hold them accountable for that and provide them with definitions of our expectations. After that, additional mentions in context are merited in order to share cautionary wisdom with others; however, when those mentions come out of context, when the matter becomes an inside joke, when they just don't stop... then it becomes bullying.
In spite of the very real hurt that we may feel, we must be better than to inflict that upon others. Otherwise, it festers and gains a life of its own, defining us, consuming us. There must come a time for redemption - or silence.
However you handle it, I hope that it is in such a way that you are able to find peace.
How do you feel about this? How do you process dissatisfaction, anger, and hurt? How do you help others to get through their frustrations? Please share your comments below.
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