Word-Of-the-Week #875: Tolerate

May 13, 2021 by  

Tolerate – put up with something or somebody unpleasant.

How often do you find yourself putting up with something or somebody being unpleasant? How do you deal with it? Do you retreat or address the situation or person?

This word has been on my mind because I realized that I have been tolerating behavior that just doesn’t make me feel good. I was raised on the Golden Rule and repeatedly told by my mother “you treat people the way you want to be treated.”

As I have said in the past, “I think the pandemic has brought out the best and the worst in people.” And it has made me seriously think about all the relationships in my life and decide which one’s make me feel good and which one’s don’t.

The ones that make me feel good are the ones that are mutually rewarding and gratifying. Where each person values the relationship, the experiences we share, and is filled with love and caring thoughts. I find myself gravitating to the people who mirror those same behaviors. And just not wanting to be around those that do not.

Are you able to distance yourself from and ignore unpleasant people? Have you ever tried to “kill someone with kindness?” The “Shock Factor” works wonders and one I have used a lot. One of my favorite lines is, “That’s the nicest thing anyone has said to me all day” when someone says something that’s not kind or feels hurtful. And lastly it is easier to change your behavior than to try and change someone else’s behavior!

This wikiHow post has a lot of good ways to deal with somebody unpleasant, so they don’t make your life unpleasant. All I can say is the older I get the less and less I want to tolerate anything. Life is just too short!

This week’s focus is on what you’re willing to tolerate or not. Have you noticed any persistent patterns of behavior that don’t feel good to you? Are you clear about what your personal values and boundaries are? How comfortable are you in expressing those feelings?

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