Pushed into a corner

 I ventured into an arena I felt strongly about due to personal experiences, yet others said I should not tread there as it wasn't my area to comment about. I could understand their position as the arena touched upon their lives in deep ways differently than the way it touched me. In many ways, we were looking at the situation through very different lenses. I saw it from a very personal, experience-specific lens, and they seemingly saw it through a variety of personal and collective lenses different than mine. 

Because it touched me in a different way, does that deny me the right to share my thoughts. Many would say yes because they deemed my experience as not as worthy as the others' perspective for many reasons. This is not the first time I've experienced this. It is a painful and confusing experience that essentially pushes me back into my corner of life when I've sought to venture into the broader world. 

So what am I to do?

First, when events like this happen, I return to my essential values:

• be helpful
• be kind
• be truthful
• do what you can
• learn more
• be as sensitive and empathetic as you can be

Then, I listen and read to try to better understand the situation. What did those that criticized me really mean? Why were my words and perspective so troubling? 

After that I take a vacation from the situation. Essentially I give it time to gain perspective and understand it better.

And then, I recommit with greater knowledge, better perspective, and better effort and endeavor. 

The way of life challenges us now and then in ways that make us think about who we are and where we are headed. I won't let troubling experiences like this deter me from reaching for betterment in my own life and in the lives of others in ways that they desire. I will, however, let experiences like this help me to learn more about how to travel the road of life in better ways. Onward.