On Writing: Stitches and Burns

I maybe a masochist but that is fine; because I know what kind of pain can kill me. You however, are a sadist. You keep on hurting me -- and you are breaking me into pieces.

People have different propensity to pain – physical or emotional. I consider myself at the higher tolerance level of this grid. So when I begin to cocoon myself, you have really hurt me good.

However, there are also two kinds of people – the people who hurt you but they do not matter and the others who do. For the first type, I usually just shrug them off. They are not worth my time anyway. The second one is the hardest to ignore – people who matter – close friends, family, loved ones. It is hard to ignore because of the deposits you have invested in the emotional bank account. Yet, they keep on taking you for granted and depleting whatever “emotional funds” you have put in.

No one is perfect. Even I have my own share of both intentional and accidental grievances. However, when epiphany comes, I DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Because at the end of the day, I do not want to hurt the people who are important to me.

It is disappointing to be in a situation where you expect people to do the same. A mentor told me once that disappointment arises from not properly communicating your expectations. It was hard for me to accept that because I believe that each one of us is equipped with common sense. How hard is it to realize that you are clearly stepping on someone else? How hard is it to realize that you are hurting someone?

I only have one clear answer in my head and this has been said to me by a good friend – willingness. People hurt someone else because they are not willing to do anything to change a situation which causes the pain. I hold on to those words.

Bo Sanchez, in one of his preaching at the Feast sounded something like this: “Let nothing affect you especially if they are not under your circle of influence. When people or situations keep on hurting you or bringing you down, maybe they are not meant to be in your life. The power to change your life is in your hands. The power to run away from these negative elements is within you. You just have to have COURAGE.”

We do not have the power to control what people should do. We do not have the power to make people like us. But we always have the power to walk away.

I would like to end this note with a prayer –

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can

And wisdom to know the difference. 

Ciao!

xx, 
Corporate Junkie