I have people in my life who don’t like people. God wants us to love one another, so there’s a challenge here. My mission is to help the hurt. How do I listen to all the pain? I listen, but don’t take it with me. It’s not personal.

When it’s personal, I have the choice of allowing myself to be hurt, or letting it go. When people are hurt, they tend to hurt whoever is nearby. Past experiences have taught them a reliable outcome. Show them different.

When I allow someone to hurt me, my first response is to back away from them. Doing that would ensure I have a safe and calm life. To take the pain as a lesson learned, and move forward, even if it’s alone.

There is going to be pain and misunderstanding in any relationship. That is part of caring. The pain puts us at a crossroad, and I choose which way to go. Moving backwards has never served me well, so forward it is.

The good of the relationship needs to outweigh the bad. I have expectations for myself and those flow onto my relationships. I treat people the way I want to be treated. I’m not willing to lower my expectations to stay.

Let go of the pain in your life, even if it’s disguised as someone you love.