Understanding - Personal Practice

This last week I was really agitated because I felt like I wasn’t being understood.

I felt like I was a becoming a bit of a martyr with regard to the issue at hand.

It’s odd I felt this way because my perspective was being accepted and accommodated, but it wasn’t being understood.

I wanted desperately to be understood.  

I still do!

But I realized I can’t force understanding on someone else.  I have to let time bring understanding to the situation.

It was the realization in reflection upon “understanding” that I remembered times in my life when it took a long time for me to gain understanding regarding a point another was trying to make.

When the “light bulb went on” for me in those times, sometimes I could reflect back years and think “Oh, that’s what they meant!”

When I realized this I had more understanding for the other person who was trying so hard to accommodate me, even though they could not honestly understand why I was (or am) so agitated.

Sometimes our life experience leads us to a perspective, a view of how things ought to be.  This then leads us to live life in a way that we understand and feel is the right way to live life.  The challenge with this is that others most likely will not have that same perspective until they gain the same understanding.

I want patience and understanding when I do not agree with another person’s perspective.  So I choose to practice understanding, even when understanding is all I’m asking for.

I’m honestly struggling with this practice.  The situation I’m requesting understanding on is coming up in similar circumstance.  It’s hard not to see it, blatantly. 

I trust with practice and a kind approach to point out why I’m agitated I’ll be able to calm down more quickly each time a similar situation arises until the other person gains understanding.

I’ll continue to practice understanding!