Tight Corner

A tight corner
is a place, where we feel
as if we have
no choice.

To tell someone
backed into a corner
to not do something,
is to attempt
to further decrease
their choice.

Give & Receive

Until we learn
to receive…

No.

Until we learn
to let others
give
to us…

No.

Until we learn
to realize empathy with ourselves
in a way
that gives us the courage
to admit
that we need others
to give to us,

Until then,
we can get stuck
lending
despite intending
to give.

Am I Doing Enough? (Part 2)

Sometimes
we ask
“Am I doing
enough?”

Forgetting to ask
“Enough
to what?”

Without the answer
to the second question,
our sense of progress
can be
unclear.

Once
our sense of progress
becomes
clear,
the first question
may become
unnecessary.

Realizing Empathy

We realize empathy
when we empathize
with someone
or something‒
including ourselves‒
through an unexpected
realization.

One that might makes us go
“Ah ha!”
“Ah…” or
“Ha ha ha!”
concerning something
we either did not
or had incorrectly assumed
to have understood
or appreciated
enough.

Preemptive Blaming

“They’re going to be quick
to blame me.”
said the founder,
worrying
of the employees’ backlash.

“How would it be different,
if you were quicker?”
I asked.

“What do you mean?”
he asked.

“How would it be different,
if you were even quicker
than them?”
I asked again,
with emphasis.

“Quicker?”
he asked.

“…”
I sat there,
silent.

“You mean if I were to blame myself
before they did?”

“…”
I waited.

Silence ensued.

“… You’re talking about
taking responsibility.”
The reply came back,
eventually.