CRAFT & SPIRIT

CRAFT AND SPIRIT

Ruthless Joy and Reciprocity

It's hard to be kind to people. So often we go out of our way, and at times unreasonably so, to care for someone. Though as much as we try it feels that nothing we ever do is enough. Over and over again, granting, offering, and sharing as much kindness and joy as we can to this individual. We see how we can help, and we do so. We do all of this because we care about this individual.

But sometimes your kindness is not reciprocated, nor is it received.

I was having a similar struggle recently. I felt that I could only swim upstream for so long, or rather, I could only push a brick wall until I inevitably burned out.

I had to change my tactic:

Continue your kindness to the individual but at a base level. Don't overextend yourself. There's no need to overextend and over-exhaust yourself on this brick wall. But listen, if you have to keep your hand on that brick wall, simply to keep that brick wall from falling on top of you or someone else, then please, by all means, do the best that you can. But with your other hand, what would happen if you were kind to somebody who was receptive? They may be able to help you with that brick wall, or they will give you the tools to support that brick wall further, eventually to surpass it.

If that brick wall is standing just fine on its own, which, in most cases, most people can support themselves except for extreme circumstances, please grant them some space. Go find someone receptive to your kindness. What we all seek - or at least maybe it's my own journey and bias here - is unconditional love, unconditional joy, and unconditional kindness.

What I’ve noticed are organic cycles in this world. There are forms of natural reciprocity, of giving and receiving, offering and accepting. Forms that support organic individual growth. And when that doesn't happen, if there is that proverbial brick wall, then that proverbial brick wall is where you go to die. All life ends at that which blocks it and stops the flow.

So, to find the flow again, surround yourself with people who are accepting of kindness, who are joyful of kindness, and those are the people to give that to. Decided to be ruthless for your joy, and find the flow of energy to continue giving even more joy to this world.