When we’re aggravated by someone’s behavior and would like to set them straight by telling them what we ‘really’ think, it’s best to pause for a moment. Though we might think that would make us feel better, it would actually make things worse. Instead, a thoughtful, kind response could be just the alchemy required to transform the dynamic. How do we make that shift when we’re already triggered? By remembering that our discomfort is due to our conditioning bumping up against theirs. Rather than making them wrong, we can make ourselves right by…

Softening into what is.