I have been interacting with him some, he is still in our house and in our room. I have really tried to hold back, and just be kind and respectful without pushing it. I have stopped telling him I love him and have tried to give him some space. We are interacting basically how you would with a neighbor you don’t very well. I’ll be home around 7, okay, have a good day, etc.
Good job.
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am not a nightmare, even though I know I am describing myself as such. I am actually well liked believe it or not.
LOL, I'm sure you are! I think most of us here are. It's good to know that you know this.
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But the thing is that with my family, and unfortunately my husband, I take for them for granted and forget to be CONSIDERATE. I show more kindness to strangers than the people I love the most.
Ahh. You've been stuck in that petulant teenager stage and never got out of it, Mary. Time to grow up! We were all this way at 16. You would do well to head over to Amazon and check out a book on empathy. I guess we can't make recommendations anymore. One pops up to the top of the pile and is a 5 star book. It is not my area of self help, so I have not read it.
I've found that people who are judgmental usually have overly critical voices in their head. What people on the outside who haven't gone to great self help lengths fail to realize is that the inner voice is way more hostile than the judging that appears on the outside. Does this describe you? I think if you can understand empathy and put it into practice, you'd find some of these thought patterns and behaviors dissipate. Unless you're a sociopath, you can learn empathy.
You may even have to ask yourself constantly, "if I were in their shoes, what would they like to hear from me?" Practice random acts of kindness. Keep a gratitude journal. It only takes a few minutes each day. Identify 3 things you are grateful for. And then thank God/the universe for your blessings. Learn how to have a grateful heart.
And when you get to the retreat, listen twice as much as you speak. No defending yourself or using the word but.
Ok, now I'm going. TTFN.
"There are only 2 ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
