Personalizing Tolerance

by | Jan 15, 2015 | Acceptance, Boundaries, Growth, Healing, Processing Thoughts and Emotions, Relationships

After last week’s post I realized it might be helpful to talk more about tolerance. A few definitions of tolerance:
1) The ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior one does not necessarily agree with.
2) Willingness to accept feelings, habits or beliefs that are different from your own
Tolerance is not agreement. So often we get that mixed up. People will say, “You must be tolerant,” and in saying it are asking you to agree with them. When tolerance is used in this way, the word is being used incorrectly. Sometimes groups will say they are tolerant, but really, only for the people who are aligned with their way of thinking. That is not tolerance. True tolerance means accepting and allowing another’s point of view, actions or attitudes. In its purest form, the tolerant person or group hears and honors all points of view, especially those that are opposed to their own. It is rare to find the truly tolerant.
Tolerance does not mean that one, while tolerating other views and behaviors, doesn’t continue with their own agenda. It does not mean becoming diluted to the point of having no beliefs, no ground on which to stand. It is possible to be incredibly passionate about something and still be open to and accepting of another’s passion. When we open ourselves up to hearing another’s point of view, we let go of hostility. When we seek to understand why a person believes and acts as he does, we create connection.
For most of you, this concept of tolerance can best be applied in your closest relationships. Sure it’s good for the issues so prevalent in our world, but most of your life is likely affected more by the person sitting next to you than any political agenda. How often are you practicing tolerance with your mother, co-worker, friend or lover? Notice in the next few days how you respond to the differing opinions and beliefs of the people in your closest circles. Notice your reactions, especially to anything that is against or contrary to what you are thinking or believing. This is a practice in awareness. Being tuned in to what you are doing, thinking, feeling and saying.
I’m going to pick up here next week. Your homework to prepare is to be aware of the degree of tolerance you practice in your life, the one you live every day, the people, places and activities that affect you directly. Note what happened, what you thought, how you felt and what you did. Do this in some form that you can go back to like writing or recording a voice memo. Don’t just leave it in your head. We tend to change things in our head and we don’t always see them as clearly when we come back to them. Until next week…

Listening to My Body

by | Feb 26, 2013 | Uncategorized

It’s a good thing that I didn’t think about the pain of my surgery. I could never have imagined it being as painful as it was. Had I given it much thought I might not have had the surgery. The purpose was to fix a misaligned bone in my foot. That one error was wreaking havoc on the big toe joint. I developed bone spurs and destroyed the cartilage. This made walking painful. I love walking! I won’t know for awhile if the surgery was successful, but I am content knowing I tried.

After 11 days of doing nothing, I am active again. I am actually at day 14 today. It feels good to think clearly. I literally couldn’t do anything but lay on the couch for 9 days. By Day 10 I could begin to do simple things like finding pins I liked on Pinterest. Today, I can write. I had no idea my mind and ability to function would be so compromised during the initial healing process after my surgery. I know some days were due to the anesthesia, some to pain medication, and some were simply a result of my body’s demand that I be still. When my body finally released me to be active again, it was nearly a 180 degree shift. I’m on crutches and can put a tiny bit of weight on my foot, so I am certainly not back to my full self, but I’m vertical more than I am horizontal these days.

I have such appreciation for my body…I would do well to listen carefully to it.