Wednesday Factoid: Creed

Today's Wednesday Factoid is: Do you have a creed?

I don't have a go-to statement to spit out if someone asks me that question, so I guess I kinda don't.

But in my thoughts and actions, I strive for respect that goes beyond "tolerance." I try to understand people and default to believing they have good intentions and good reasoning before I dismiss what they have to say, and if I do have to dismiss it, I try not to do it with fanfare unless they are going out of their way to attack me or misrepresent me.

I've sometimes struggled for a balance between respecting people's space/time/tolerance/opinion and getting myself walked on.

I have let people borrow money and belongings, use and access my abilities and knowledge, and take from me far more than they gave, and I have been burned for my trust sometimes. I've learned to be somewhat diplomatic in making sure I don't make the same mistakes twice, though, because the last thing I would want is for other people's exploitation of my kindness to make me jaded. I want to be able to go into new relationships without the old ones poisoning them. I want to provide the breath of fresh air, the leg up, and the love that someone else needs. The ability to do that starts with assuming that people want to be good and are trying their best.