– Miller Williams
It’s amazing how things shift when we sit down and really talk to someone on a soul level: suddenly, the rude, selfish or angry behavior they’ve been spewing out begins to make sense. As their tears start to flow and we feel their pain, we stop judging them as bad or wrong, and begin to empathize with them instead. When a deep, soulful conversation isn’t possible for some reason, it’s helpful to imagine it taking place. When someone lies, we’re wise to assume that they are afraid to tell the truth; when someone takes more than their fair share, it’s because they fear they won’t have enough; when someone lashes out in anger, we can remember that they’re acting that way because they feel emotionally unsafe. We must be really awake and open-hearted to respond to bad behavior with love and understanding. While none of us can manage it all of the time, the more we practice, the easier it gets, and the more peaceful we tend to feel.