Written By: Cathy Shuba
I walked into a room and smiled at someone I do not know and their reply was to look the other way. I want to say, “What is wrong with you?” I say hello to a stranger walking down the street and their reply was to walk by me as if they never heard me. I want to say, “What is wrong with you?” I ask a question about something I do not understand or need help with and their response is, “Beats me, figure it out for yourself.” I want to say, “What is wrong with you?” Have any of you experience this type of communication?
Then you have the people who you hardly know meet you for five minutes and they for some reason know everything about you as they tell you how to act, how to live, what is wrong with you and how you should change. I want to say, “What is wrong with you?” Perhaps you know someone for a longer time but not long enough and from out of the blue, the person gives his or her opinion, advice or suggestion to you that is harsh, hurtful and down right out of line for no reason. I want to say, “What is wrong with you?” Your having a conversation with someone who is not being direct with you but actually messing with your mind and your feelings and then out of nowhere tells you how wrong or messed up you are when in the first place they should have just said in the first place without playing head games. I want to say, “What is wrong with you?” I have experienced friends that I was not sure they were friends because there was always that dig they made, that insult they said or that passive aggressive behavior they always showed me—I later learned that people like this are not real friends but hostage takers. I want to say, “What is wrong with you?” Have any of you experience this type of communication?
The lessons I have learned throughout my difficulties is not to take it personally. I do know what is wrong with people who talk or act unacceptable with me or others. There was a time in my life when I would ask myself what was wrong with people but today I know much more about what turns others on and to act so unruly. I know I have choices and that is to either engage in it or learn from it. I choose to learn from it. So many times, I took it personally and lost the point, lesson and mostly how wrongly I reacted because my ego got in the way. However, I do know when someone is mean, self-righteous and down right vicious but I still can learn from what people are saying to me. I know that I have choices and with that gives me the freedom to make my choice in the matter. I can continue to be friends, socialize and surround myself with toxic people or choose to learn from how people can really be and become a better mannered person. Become a nicer person. Become a compassionate person. Become a loving person all because I chose to learn from others who cannot be this way with others. I know by seeing that type of behavior I do not want to treat others that way because that behavior once hurt me.
I know that most people who do portray unacceptable behaviors with others do not know any better, where not taught any better or chose not to be a better person. They chose to stay the way they are because it made them feel better to make some one hurt, feel less than or just rotten. I do not want to live like that and so I choose today to learn from others that cannot be nice. I can choose to take what I learn from him or her and leave the rest alone with no other contact or relationship. This communication allows me to have a better me and I think that is fabulous!
I chose to run today and think about all the healthier choices I have made in my life since my priority was to become a better person.
