Some days, it feels especially challenging to send loving thoughts to other people. The phrase, "Hell is Other People" comes to mind and it's easy to find reasons why I'd rather keep my loving inspirations to myself.
Other peoples' behavior or words, or both, seem baffling, leaving me wondering how to respond.
It's easy to get caught up in drama. We've all been there. One person blurts out some injustice that was perpetrated against them and pretty soon, others join in, adding their own doses of miserable stuff. Momentum builds and it becomes a whirling mass of collective misery. I envision it as a small tornado that picks up speed as more people verbalize their issues and toss them into the mixture.
It then spins faster, increasing in power and sucks more people in. It has now become a Sucking Vortex.
Amidst the fear that I, too, will be unwillingly sucked into it, a realization comes over me.
This person needs to let it out.
I could possibly create a safe space for them to do this.
Just listen.
Breathe.
Realize it will pass.
Let it go and feel the energy dissipate.
As a kid, I saw floating hearts in a Scooby Doo cartoon, moving from one character to another. I call this image up and envision a cloud of chuckling hearts, each with silly grins, moving from my heart toward the other person. Sometimes, it's just what they need. Turn those reluctant hearts into caring ones.
