Humanity comes in all shapes and sizes with just as many different personalities and behavioural traits; Good, bad and certainly everything in between.
Most of us understand and accept that what someone else does, their actions, may not resonate with us and we may not agree with, or condone, their behaviour or choices. Essentially we are all different; The same, human beings, but different.
For this reason, the difference between us all, some of the things other people do can cause us concern, discomfort, trouble, physical or emotional pain and any number of other negative emotions and feelings.
Conversely other people's actions can be uplifting, inspirational and more conducive to positivity and the greater good within the community called planet earth - Or steem I guess too. They...No, WE, have the choice to affect our own behaviour, irrespective of others, and to choose which type to deploy, what actions, and when. Just like we all have the choice around how we let that positive or negative action from others affect us. The power resides with us, the individual, to command how we think and feel.
Like all people, I've gained my share of bad behaviour from other people in life; It's largely been out of my control though and so I have a choice, the need, to decide how exactly to deal with it. For me it comes down to a few of things:
- Is the behaviour I'm subject to positive or negative
- Is it intentional or by accident
- To what degree does it truly affect me
- Can I make it stop
- Do I care enough to do so
After thinking about these things I generally feel more capable of making informed decisions around my own needs rather than reacting to the behaviour itself, which of course, I cannot control - Not without ending someones life, but that often comes with implications of a different sort these days...Pistols at 20 paces isn't a thing anymore, lamentably.
Typically the bad behaviour we are forced to endure from others is nothing more than pin pricks in the grand scheme of life...Meaningless pin pricks from meaningless people. We often give life to it by attempting to prevent it rather than simply ignore the pricks.
I am very much of the opinion that one can only, and should only, attempt to control the controllable's in their life, I mean in respect of other people behaviours and actions...Trying to control something that is out of ones sphere of influence, or worrying about it overly much, is a fools errand and as someone who is not a fool I'd rather put my energies into productive and positive things, not the pricks. Don't you think?
Have you ever stood on the shore looking at the waves crashing on the beach...Ever tried to control the ocean? Yeah, didn't work did it. Well, unless you're Moses I guess, and even then, who can really be sure it happened right?
Attempting to control something clearly outside of one's ability to control is never going to get you too far, just like trying to control those meaningless little pricks I mentioned.
In my humble opinion a person is much better to invest their energy into more positive pursuits, ones that are within their ability to control and ones that assist in creating a better (the best) version of life. I guess that's what the phrase I end my posts with means.
Control the controllable's and ignore the pricks.
Have a good weekend too.
Tomorrow isn't promised - Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default
An original post written by a human
Discord: galenkp#9209 馃嚘馃嚭
Images by me, taken in the Art Gallery, of some wacky display...Loads of pricks right there huh?