Their Mess Is Not Your Problem....But, You Still Have To Work Through It

I’ve been on the receiving end of another person’s word-vomit-anxiety-freakout many times.

It’s part of the complexity of being a human being engaged in communication with many types of people.

In the past, I would feel any of the following when another person laid their word-vomit-anxiety-freakout on me:

Makes sense, right? Why wouldn’t I feel any or all of these things when I’m receiving a surprising exchange?

I would react (read: not respond) with an energy that matched theirs— my own protective, reactive freakout.

The exchange would escalate, words would happen that probably shouldn’t have, and then we both lose out feeling hurt.

Then, I realized I could take the road of compassion in my communication.

Compassion in communication means taking in the whole moment:

This takes the shock out of the exchange.

This helps you distance yourself from the hurt you may be feeling enough to respond clearly.

Truth is, we have no idea what other people are going through.

We have no idea what may have triggered them to act in the way that they did.

All we can do is commit to the higher good:

Have compassion for their inner turmoil.

Have compassion for yourself and choose to rise above petty responses.

Over time, the other party may resolve their inner conflict.

Or they may not.

But you can rest assured that you have consistently communicated with them compassionately and with integrity.