Comments on: How to Be the Bigger Person

By: Yes Is the Answer. What Is the Question? — the halfway point

Yes Is the Answer. What Is the Question? — the halfway point — Tue, 18 May 2010 09:40:28 +0000

[...] We say Yes to peace when we choose to be the bigger person. [...]

By: Belinda Munoz

Belinda Munoz — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:14:44 +0000

Hello Asana, thank you for taking the time to comment. I stand with you as I, too, intend to apply this to my everyday life.

By: Asana

Asana — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:57:45 +0000

Thank you for this! I appreciate your thoughts and love your wording. What you’ve expressed is very true. I am praying to be able to go beyond having a head knowledge of this and applying it to my everyday life.

By: Madeleine

Madeleine — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:23:57 +0000

Belinda, I too found this a perceptive and well-written post. I liked the concept of an insult as bait which one doesn’t need to take. And the suggestion to “Remember that we’re all doing the best we can” is so important. We all have a lot to learn about dealing with emotional situations. Fortunately, age and experience do seem to help us get better at it.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:46:26 +0000

I love all of your suggestions, but particularly #6. It’s is entirely too easy to dismiss others as rude, crude and insensitive, and much more of a challenge to to try to understand that on any given day, most of us are doing our best. (Or, at least, aware that we should be veering in that direction…)

By: Fr. Michael

Fr. Michael — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:34:27 +0000

#5 is definitely important. Letting things go is difficult, but liberating. Thanks for the other insights!

By: glen

glen — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:06:13 +0000

It sounds like you are in a position of power at a company and at least some of the people responding here, work with you. The scenario A&B are still a mystery to me but your recount sounds defensive in nature. Of course, I understand your reasons for holding back the facts. Obviously your friends or co-workers are only going to be supportive. They cannot help you here. It is your enemy that will help you the most. This sounds like a time for humility, gratitude and grace…only. You might pass this off as my not understanding the roll you have in the workplace but I feel a great leader follows her people.

By: Patty - Why Not Start Now?

Patty - Why Not Start Now? — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:35:15 +0000

Hi Belinda – What a wonderful topic. In the end, it’s satisfying to be the bigger person, because in order to do so we have to touch our own empathy (which you so beautifully wrote about). I had a teacher in college who told me, “always try to take the high road.” He was warm and kind and real, a rarity in a field full of high drama and tantrums. But you know what? He always got what he wanted and actually ended up exploring more new territory than many of the very strident people there. He was a great mentor. So thanks for this.

By: Belinda Munoz

Belinda Munoz — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:41:40 +0000

@Jeanne, what a great comment. You make a great point about becoming calm and peaceful when we give someone the benefit of the doubt. It’s so true. It’s very much an “unclenching” act that releases the nerves. Thanks for pointing that out.

@Ben, as always, thank you for being so loyal to this blog. I’m glad to hear that you find my posts helpful.

@LPC, so glad you brought up the career application of this post. It’s sound and practical business sense not to waste time and energy on things that suck the life out of our work. As one of my favorite musicians says, why kill something when we can breathe life into it, right?

By: LPC

LPC — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:13:06 +0000

Belinda, this is a very valuable post. Particularly in the career world. I hope the young ones are here to read…