What's Hard To Be With?

When I took my coaches training, a particular subject area related to "What's hard to be with?" Often times, we human-beings in our need to be right, or loved, or even simply liked all the time means that we fail to stick-to-it when the going gets tough. I, too, have often been guilty of the same behavior in my life. One place you often find yourself not doing that though, is in a relationship that you've already invested a lot of emotional energy into. So what about the rest of life and other relationships?

Are human-beings meant to be pleasant, unoffensive, and perfect - in your eyes - all the time? It just isn't possible, is it? I know that people rub me the wrong way sometimes, and even so I have stuck with it for a time - actually much longer in some cases than was healthy. Yet, giving other people a chance and allowing friction and conflict to exist is also a way to open my eyes to my own shortcomings and to then allow them theirs. As well, it also offers me an opportunity to develop my patience and perseverance in relating to others around sticky-issues. So what if I hit a rough spot? I'll speak my mind, I'll be passionate - quite simply, I'll be who I am. After all, isn't that what friendship is about?

If there is a continual butting of heads and a totally polarized perspective on life and values, then by all means, I feel free to go - I've often come to that place of understanding myself. However, if there is an opportunity to learn and gain insight about what makes someone tick, then I'll stick around and keep communicating. It's interesting that on one item a rawness will be exposed, and then just as quickly the conversation can turn to another subject matter and the conversation carries on like the first one never existed. Oh, but wait - that only happens within the animal kingdom; humans carry judgment, grudges, and expectation in their hearts. Or do they?

In my own imperfection, I hope that is not the case.