Let’s say you hold a particular ideology through society, experience, culture, or teachings, and you meet someone who does not conform to your views. You seemingly have two choices.

First, you could alter your ideology to accommodate or become inclusive. Unfortunately, most of us appear too invested in our own personal views to do that, so, the seemingly common route is to attempt to delegitimise or erase individuals who make us think outside our norm.

No one likes to be judged and yet we judge each other all the time. No one likes to not be heard, yet we block different opinions all the time. One of the many “why are humans so determined to be miserable” conundrums.

I get that we don’t always support each other’s decisions or understand them, but that is not a reason for us to judge them.

Some people are a joy to love and some people trigger us. Boundaries are about making sure we are able to find love. This is when we need to realise that there are some people best to love close and others better to love from afar. Everyone is worthy of love and respect, though not always of your time and effort.

It’s so important to weave kindness and love into all of our interactions. You never know when you’ll be the person who ignites an awakening in someone else. It may be in the advice you give to others, or the sudden smile you offer to a stranger. It may be your willingness to stop whatever it is you’re doing to listen, or the way in which you allow your eyes to rest on another without judgment.

You can’t predict when you will be the catalyst for something wonderful to light up another human being, but there will be many such moments—when your love and compassion will be the exact thing someone needs to feel understood, and okay, and inspired. To feel seen!