Invisible Forgiveness

    We all do things that need to be forgiven. If you think you haven't than you are heavily lying to yourself. It is the case with those with invisible disabilities. Those who deal with mental illness. We all say things that we wish we can take back. Once they are said they hurt. They don't go back in your head. Most of us have this filter. We think before we speak. Did you know when you are angry that filter is very much damaged? The energy that is used to keep that filter in place is used to help us fight off some bear or something? It is true. It is a natural bodily reaction. Everyone has it. You ever get angry and just spout off stuff and wonder why you even said that? That is why. Your brain basically turns off. This is why forgiveness is so important. One statement that someone said should be forgiven. Even two quite possibly more than that. If that person is dealing with a mental illness you need to have the patience to forgive anything that comes out. That is very difficult. Once somebody apologizes it should also be forgotten. It is the only way to live with someone that has a mental illness. They can't live with the guilt and in the same sense hating someone for their illness is unproductive.
      Unfortunately, we live in a time where offensive statements are the sole reason to lash out on somebody. I see it time and again. I worry about what that does to my daughters' future. She does not have a filter. She speaks unfiltered. If she thinks it, it is out of her mouth. At times it is amusing but other times it can be harsh even for an 8 year old. I know her diagnosis. To other people it is invisible. You can't see it. You can't see her struggle on a daily basis. All you know is that she is being this spoiled brat. That is our problem these days. We don't take the time to understand what someone is going through before making the judgement. We are already have an assessment set up based on a second glance.
    I worked retail. It was harsh to say the least. It was automotive. People don't want to buy things for their cars. They just don't, the least of which to fix them. They would come in already angry. I got that. I understood that. It took me a long time to get that. I would get angry right back at them when I was younger. Then I thought about what if I was in their shoes? What if something broke that I really was pretty unfamiliar with. What if I had to go out and spent a bunch a money on that? I would be in a mood for sure. I stopped being offended every time they would come in angry. I would try and help them see things a little better. My goal was to get them to smile before they left. I was good at that. I didn't mind getting yelled at sometimes. Changing my prospective on that made me love my job instead of hating it.
    People think differently. It is very important to be tolerant of that. We all want to be open minded but are you open minded on how people process things differently? They have different values than you? They might be more conservative. They might be more liberal. They might be more religious. I know for a fact that where ever you are at you can find something in common with another human. I do it all the time. I love it. I might just have one thing that I can cling too with someone to connect with but I don't care.  People with mental illnesses have a different way of processing information. Along with those with Autism. Some one who is typical might process something in seconds. It might take a full hour for an Autistic or someone that has a mental illness might not be able to do it at all. It all depends on the situation. So the next time you are upset about the way someone thinks it really isn't their choice. It is how their brain is wired. It is the set of circumstances that they live in. Find out what is going on in their brain. The human brain is the most interesting thing on this planet. Every single one is different too! Ask questions and communicate.