Blind Spot: Small Choices, Big Damage
When I hear the word betrayal, I tend to think of something big. An affair. A secret that changes everything. A promise was broken when it mattered most. But relationships at home and at work can also be damaged by smaller choices that are easy to explain away.
I tell somebody I will call and never do. I repeat something they told me in confidence. I make a joke at their expense and say, “I was only kidding.” I know something is bothering me, but I say everything is fine and let resentment build. I say I will pray and I don’t.
Each incident may seem small to the person doing it. To the person on the receiving end, it raises a question: Can I trust you with what matters to me?
Trust is built in ordinary moments, and it can be weakened there, too. When I dismiss someone’s feelings or fail to keep my word, an apology matters. So does what I do after the apology. I need to hear how my choice affected them, take responsibility, and change the behavior.
That does not mean I will get everything right. I won’t. But I can pay attention to the little ways I may be letting someone down before distance grows between us.
Is there a small promise I need to keep today, or a small hurt I need to make right?
Watch for the blind spots.
👀 Don’t wait to uncover what you don’t know you don’t know! 💡Blind Spots in Relationships, get your book today on Amazon, B&N and BAM.
So true. Important to follow through on what we say.