We Need One Another

I’ve spent a little extra time thinking and overthinking over the past 9 months.  

One thought, and it’s a big one, that I keep coming back to, is the fact that everyone has varying measure points for everything.  Seems pretty obvious, but let me elaborate.

What one individual perceives to be a hard worker, could be entirely different than another’s idea.  While neither perception is right or wrong, how each individual will measure their own work, as well as others, can be drastically different. 

Similarly, we all learn differently — different styles, different speeds — and with that, retain information differently. 

What makes one person upset, may or may not phase another.  

What causes one person pain, physically and / or mentally, may barely be felt by another. 

What one individual has experienced as the worst thing ever in his or her life, often times would be on an entirely different level of what another individual would have experienced.  For the individual who may have experienced something that would be considered by others to be trivial in comparison to what some other individuals have encountered, should still be able to sit with their emotions, move through the stages of grief and not feel guilty for doing so.  Being empathetic is important, but so is taking care of your own mental health and well-being.

It can be a tricky balance of focusing on yourself, while being empathetic and putting yourself in another’s shoes.  I’ve found the best thing that I can do, is to stop assuming.  Rather than spending so much time imagining what another person is going through and feeling, let them tell you.  I am getting more comfortable with being uncomfortable.  I have by no means perfected this, and still have a lot of ways that I can improve on this, but I am truly trying to keep this more top of mind.

I just reread this post, What’s On Your Mind, Danielle? that I wrote on April 6th. I never thought that when I wrote it, almost eight months ago, that we would be where we are right now.  

But, we are. And we can either embrace it, fight for what we want and continue to show up day in and day out for ourselves and those that need us or we can give up, back down and let this crazy beautiful life just pass us by. 

Hang in there, friends.