I was reading an article a few years ago about a lady who had moved and her daughter was anxious about finding friends at her new school.
She told her mother, “I hope there will be at least one other new person there,” and after a long pause she said again, “Just one.”
The article was about how just one person can make a difference in helping you feel comfortable, wanted, or at least less invisible.
On the other hand, one person with a wrong or unhelpful attitude can make you feel unwanted or out of place. One rude person can make you feel very overwhelmed and anxious.
Just one person can change your mood or take you from having a good day to a bad one.
Just One Person Can Ruin Your Day
At about the age of 15, I had just transferred to another High School and didn’t have anyone to talk to yet because I didn't know anyone.
I had transferred in the middle of the year so everyone else was already accustomed to their schedules and classmates.
I was the new girl and was struggling to get the hang of vocational school on a limited time schedule between each class. I felt awkward trying to keep up and out of place.
Shy and awkward do not even begin to describe me at that age; so awkward that I was spending my lunch periods in the bathroom, wishing my day was over.
One day during class, a girl suddenly decided to bring everyone's attention to me.
Out of the blue one of my female classmates stood up from her chair, put her hands on her hips, and said in a very loud and sassy voice, “She will never have any friends here if she doesn’t figure out how to move her lips and talk to people.”
Then she sat down and went back to whispering and giggling to her friends in an obvious conversation about me.
As I sat there feeling all alone, I sank way down into my seat wondering where in the world that attack came from?
Just one person, a girl I didn’t even know, caused me to have a horrible day and to hate school even more than I already did. I went home feeling unaccepted and just downright embarrassed.
I wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out.
I decided I would NEVER treat another human being like that. That total lack of character reminds me to be kind to others now because I know how bad it feels to be treated that way.
I put a stop to being controlled by what other people think as I grew older. I learned to stand up, speak up, and not allow people to run over me.
The moral of the story is there are positive and negative people in this world who will make a good or bad difference in your life. The impact it has is up to you.
Bad people can’t be avoided.
I normally ignore people who act that way now because I realize it is just a reflection of who they are on the inside and an outward display of their own insecurities.
Instead of being bitter toward the girl at school, I used it as a lesson.
She helped me to see that how another person feels is important and although I haven’t perfectly succeeded, I've tried to think about that when communicating with others.
There have been situations like that girl at school all of my life. It has really helped me to grow into a stronger person.
You see, strength isn't being able to get into an argument with someone like that. Strength is being able to walk away from them without it ruining your day. Strength is being able to forgive that person and not give it another thought.
When someone treats you unkindly, being able to forgive them shows what kind of person you are. Forget about what kind of person they are. Focus on your own behavior and kindness.
There is no way to know how the words you are thinking are going to affect another person if you say them out loud. I get that. But being considerate to not blurt things out that might be offensive is important.
Not once in the bible do you see Jesus do that. His words were thoughtful and effective. His actions were kind.
Kindness is always the best policy and not saying 'everything' you think is important.
Ironically that young girl's bad behavior created a good trait in me. I now try to be more considerate because I know how it feels to be called out and embarrassed.
Forgive others. Speak kind words. And, never forget to show love and make people feel wanted.
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