Saturday, April 6, 2024
People are free, and they want to be allowed their freedom. But that means that drivers will drive too slow in front of you. Cashiers will be rude. Neighbors will be noisy. Free-thinking, free-doing, free acting – we all have freedom. You want yours as much as the other.
We want to do as we please, but we don’t want others to have that same wiggle room. I used to be like that. I wanted my freedom as long as others did what I wanted them to do. You can’t have it both ways, but yet you can. Let people be free, and they’ll bend over backwards for you. They’ll love you for trusting them. That’s not to say that you let them walk all over you. You give what you want and they will give what they want. If you don’t like what they give, walk away.
You cannot “make” someone give you more, no more than you can make a cat come to you. You can only give people space. Some people give so much room that the other person moves right in. If you give them all of the wiggle room, they’ll usurp the entire room and smother you. You no longer have autonomous freedom.
Sense your own identity, likes, dislikes, and ways to express love. Let others have their own identity, likes, dislikes, and ways to express love. Let their uniqueness be good enough for you. Work on making yourself more allowing, and give plenty of wiggle room – put don’t let others crowd you out of your own, free-thinking space.
Compatibility will never make you betray yourself. You might give some wiggle room, but don’t give them the whole room. Where will you fit? If someone makes you betray yourself they don’t love you, they possess you. Remember, your freedom is as important as theirs. Protect yours and respect theirs.