The Plum – Anon

You should learn that you cannot be loved by all people. You can be the finest PLUM in the world, Ripe, Juicy, Succulent and you can offer yourself to all BUT you must remember there will be people who do not like plums.

You must understand that if you are the world’s finest plum and someone you like does not like plums you have the choice of becoming a banana. But be warned that if you choose to become a banana you will be a second rate banana but you can still be the best plum.

If you choose to be a second rate banana you must also remember that there will be people who do not like bananas. Furthermore you can spend your life trying to become the best banana (which is impossible if you are a plum) or you can seek again to be the best plum.


Could you just listen? Jessie Swick

When I ask you to listen to me and you start to give me advice, you have not done what I asked.

When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me why I should not feel like that, you are trampling on my feelings.

When I ask you to listen and you feel you have to do something to solve my problems, you have failed me, strange as that may seem.

Listen.

All I ask is that you listen.

Advice is cheap.

When you do something for me that I can and need to do for myself, you contribute to my fear and inadequacy: but when you accept as a simple fact that I do feel what I feel no matter how irrational, then I can stop trying to convince you and get down to the business of trying to understand it.

Irrational feelings make sense when we understand what is behind them and when that is clear the answers become obvious and I don’t need advice.

So please just listen. If you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn and I will listen to you.