I am an introvert but I am not anti-social. When there is a need to engage with people, I am willing and capable to do so. Perhaps I learned to overcome my tendencies to shy away from people due to my frequent exposure to ministries involving relationships. I also learned that no one can't effectively minister unless they know how to engage with different kinds of people. 

However, sometimes people get the best of me. Even if I can say that I am very patient when it comes to relationships, some traits easily rob me of peace and patience. Here are some of them:

People who are not careful with their words

I believe that everything we say must be true, but not all truths have to be told anytime. Timing is key, and the choice of words is crucial. Tact is an important relational skill that fosters relationships. Conversely, tactlessness destroys confidence among friends. Whenever we say mean and insensitive words, we can no longer take them back, so we have to be careful with every word we utter, for it can either make them or break them. 

People who are selfish and greedy

I understand that there will be times when we tend to save our skin and prioritize ourselves or our family. But when there is enough for everybody and greed and selfishness kick in, I believe there is a problem. Selfish and greedy people are hard to please because they feel like they are entitled to every resource available. They rarely think of others. They are not team players. 

People who don't know how to respect boundaries

We all have personal boundaries set and as much as possible we consider it sacred and off-limits. But some people are so intrusive that they don't care about how feelings and the sanctity of boundaries. They just do what they feel like doing. They think as if you owe them a chunk of your time "just because". They are so fixated on their issues not realizing they are overstepping others' personal spaces. 

People who provoke others

When people provoke others, they are implying that some people's emotions and temper can be manipulated. They trigger others, playing with their temper and wanting to see how others blow up. I find it rude to provoke people no matter the reason, especially if it will only satisfy the provoker's desire to be entertained. We see it in children, especially the bullies. But in the case of adults, I don't find it amusing, more so necessary. 

People who are impatient and easily gets angry

This is one of my pet peeves. People who easily get angry, especially for petty reasons. It's understandable to get irritated when queuing for a long time, in waiting for your download to finish, in not finishing your task in time after you put in all the efforts you can muster. But when you drag others in your irritation and anger, when you vent out on unsuspecting people just because you get impatient, there's a problem. Don't let others receive verbal lashing when they are not even involved in your misery. They shouldn't be involved in the first place!

We are all works in progress

I believe that we are all works in progress. Even if I can identify things that I hate most in people, for sure there will be some who can pinpoint their issues with me. We can never be perfect relationally. We all have flaws and these flaws will give us out from time to time. But despite our flaws and relational blunders, we can always choose to be better and improve ourselves especially when we deal with people. Relationships are important. 

Modesty, respect, and humanity can be learned, we just need to be intentional about it. 

Hi, I am Marts! Aside from read.cash, I also run my blog - martsvalenzuela.com. I plan on growing my readership while learning to improve my craft and journey towards my passion to write and publish books that add value to people.

Carpe Diem!