03/25/2022
Have you ever been disappointed by someone? Maybe even feel hurt, deceived, or betrayed?
The younger me would find every reason to place blame on the other person. But assuming the victim role makes you feel powerless and never solves anything. So now I reflect on the role that I played and what lessons I could take away.
I’ll share some points from a chapter in Jay Shetty's book "Think Like a Monk".
The fact is you cannot control people. Not their behaviors, their values, their feelings…
A mistake often made is we assume that everyone operates the way we do. We believe they value what we value and what we want in a relationship is what they want. When we think everyone is a reflection of ourselves, we fail to see the reality as it is.
The feelings of disappointment happen when your expectations aren’t met. It’s important to set realistic expectations based on what they actually give you, not what you want them to give you or what they say they will give you. Remember, We learn more about a person from behaviors than promises.
Trusting everyone and trusting no one are two extremes that will leave you hurt. Most of us are somewhere in the middle but sometimes we trust people too easily and for the wrong reasons. We give too much trust when we like or are attracted to someone but rather, our trust should correspond to our actual experience with them. Not their likability or appeal.
Be mindful and observe behaviors. When people show you who they are, believe them. Trust is earned, not owed. As the poem goes, “people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime”. The role they play in your life may not be the role you play in theirs.
Sometimes it takes more strength to let go than it does to hold on.