Relationships are so tricky! We are continually building walls or bridges between each other. One day, I thought about that and drew this wall and bridges cartoon.
Each day, we can be tempted to just burn a bridge and build a walled fortress. We think it is easier to write off someone because they may be difficult, have opinions we dislike or tend to build walls. Who needs them anyway?
When I drew this cartoon, I was thinking about what it would sound like if a school bully used psychiatric language to describe his actions. Since that time, my kids and one of my nephews have become very interested in psychology. Go figure!
Every day, we have a chance to tear someone down or build someone up with our words. We can give someone more hopelessness and make them feel lousy about themselves and the world, or encourage them to see there is hope and a future.
Not everyone is going to take the cue and be encouraging in return. In fact, some may scorn a positive attitude. After all, if someone receives hundreds of discouraging messages and then they hear one encouraging word, it will take more encouragement to reverse the trend.
There is no shortage of discouragement, ridicule, and doom in this world. Are you going to continue that trend, or are you going to be a positive difference today? Are you going to feel better by ridiculing another, or are you going to be a breath of fresh air and encourage someone today? Let’s make a positive choice.
