Reflections on a Thursday

Thursday can be the most perfectly ho hum kind of day. It's not the middle of the week and it is certainly not the weekend or the beginning of the week. And this morning something has been bothering me for quite some time.

I have never been taken quite seriously. Perhaps it is because of my soft spoken personality or perhaps stem from a lack of confidence. Or maybe its because people have just become entirely too inpatient these days. They only want the information they want and right away, to the point. They move on once they have information. This my friends I do not like.

Lately, I've been thinking about 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 which goes as follows:

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. " (NASB)

Be patient with people. Listen twice as hard (since you have two ears) than you speak (you only have one mouth). Even is the person seems to be running around in circles or telling you a story (even if you had heard it before) give them a benefit of a doubt. Be patient. The other person thought you important enough to share something with so honor them and allow them to talk. Listen and wait before you react or ask questions. More often than not you will find out the answers to any questions you might have without even asking if you just listen. Listen, reflect, pause and appreciate what others are saying. It's amazing just how much doing this will transform a person and help make them a increasingly stronger person. It will take a shy person and unsure person and will give them much more confidence. And most certainly will build their self esteem.




I do get frustrated sometimes when I am cut off quite rudely or constantly interrupted, even by those closest to you. It does make feel unimportant like what I say is not worth listening to. The trust keeps lessening every time. Why share things if you are only going to get zapped and hurt or ignored? I cannot do that. I have a voice and it must be heard. The other option is this: Do I become hurt so much that I become immune and unfeeling, a stone? That is not right either because I am a person of deep and intense feelings. So you see I am at an impasse.

I realize my own personal failings when it comes to communicating. I am doing my best to change those things and that process will be forever progressing. Lasting change does not necessary happen overnight. I am a totally different than I was in high school. I was so quiet and sky (I was voted most quietest in my senior class after all) and I really did not talk to people that I did not know. I also hardly ever reveal things about myself.

I really did not mean to ramble on and on today. But there you go.