When everyone is facing their own struggles in and out of school, it can be difficult to know what to say sometimes without upsetting or offending anyone. It is also hard to grasp how much a single interaction can affect the state of someone’s well being. This is why it is important to be able to seperate your intent from your impact. What this means is that no matter what your intent was within a situation, it is only as important as how that statement, action, presence, or involvement impacted the other person.
For example, if you were to tease a friend for something they were wearing and you think it’s obvious that your intent was to be funny, lighthearted, or relaxed. However, that friend might not have taken the teasing as it was intended and it may have hurt their feelings. It is in this situation where you need to be able to listen to your friend’s concerns and allow yourself to learn and grow from your actions. It is important to be able to recognize the flaws within your own behavior, and limit the blame that you may want to place onto the other person. Other people’s feelings are valid and deserve as much attention and care as your own.
Allowing yourself to be humbled in a state of vulnerability is important even if it is difficult. While no one likes to be called out, or told they were in the wrong during a situation, it can be a necessary step to becoming a better person. This ability to listen to others, instead of constantly worrying about being heard, will allow you to connect to others in a more personable way. Giving yourself the room to grow by accepting that you may have hurt someone, even if it was unintentional, will most definitely allow you to create more meaningful and whole relationships. Giving off good energy like this will create a more positive environment for everyone, and hopefully turn conflict into kindness.