My parents always taught me to treat others as you want to be treated. I come from a very loving family and had an ideal childhood. I grew up surrounded by love. This was what I thought was the norm, how all families were. The harsh reality of adulthood is you begin to see the world for what it really is. I am thankful for my family and grateful for the values my parents instilled in me. 
Sadly, my ideal childhood is not as common as I once thought. It can be difficult to understand other people and their motives when they treat others with malice and cruelty. I don’t understand how anyone could think it’s acceptable to do that to others. It’s not even acceptable to do that to yourself. Do some people really hurt that much inside that they feel such a strong need to make others feel pain too? Is that what causes cruelty? 
I have always been an internalizer and directed negativity toward myself. I have suffered from anxiety and depression in the past and I almost died from anorexia when I was 19. I know what it feels like to hate myself, but by practicing self-love, the negativity evaporated. So what is different between someone who directs their hatred outward instead? 
Maybe there isn’t much difference at all. Maybe there is. I only know what I have experienced. It’s a normal human reaction to want to make others feel pain after they have caused you pain (as children will impulsively hit another child who hit them). But what about the innocent person who hasn’t done a thing? How do they become the target? 
Bella tells me “love heals all” and I really believe that’s true! She also tells me that this world will eventually know peace, and I believe she is right. But how can we ever get there when such hateful and angry people exist?
The answer is LOVE! But how can you send someone love when they hurt you over and over again? How do you put it all aside and remain focused on what is important? 
I believe in Karma. I believe that our experiences can shape our personalities and affect how we react to things. But every single person, no matter what happened to them in their past, has a CHOICE! You get to choose how you treat others. No one forces that on you.
The beauty of it is that you also get to choose how others treat you. You set the standard for that, no one else! But you can’t treat someone unfairly and expect not to get the same in return. If you act a certain way toward someone, how can you get mad when they do the same thing back?
Hurting others will not take away your pain! 
Choose love instead.

#ChooseLove #StayStrong❤️