Do Not Mistake My Kindness for Weakness

Anna Grace Taylor once said, “My love is free, but my trust is earned. Do not mistake my kindness for weakness because my integrity is my greatest strength”. Many times, we come across people who make us wonder if it pays to be a good person. I love freely. It is easy for me to love you. Loving a person is not tantamount to trust. Loving a person is easy. Trusting them is a whole different level. We honestly do not have to pay for love. When we love people, it is best we love them unconditionally. Trust, however, is something else entirely. When a person asks for my trust, i cannot give it freely. They have to earn it. This is not to mean that my trust is a reward for some good behavior. What it means is that i have to see evidence that you can be trusted. It means that we have gotten to the point where I know that I can rely on you. Earning my trust means that over time, i have gotten comfortable with sharing parts f myself with you, and you have proven that it was not a mistake to do so. Trust is powerful. It is one of the foundations of any relationship. Without trust, no relationship will stand long enough. When I commit myself to a relationship, I want to know that we are on the same page. This is trust. I should earn your trust; you should earn my trust also. The fact that we are together is not an automatic basis for trust.

Do not mistake my kindness for weakness

I have seen many people whose kindness have been taken for granted. It irks me that the very person you go out of your way to be kind to, turns around to make a mockery of your kindness. People are quick to assume that they can take advantage of people’s kindness. Kindness is not weakness. That someone will choose to be kind to you rather than be unkind does not mean that they are foolish. In my sojourn through life, I have learned that my integrity is strength. My kindness is not a weakness, and if the people around me do not understand this, I am still not bothered. I have come to realize that people who misuse the kindness shown to them are the people who need it the most. Whenever they pay back my kindness with rudeness or try to take advantage of it, I remember that my integrity is a strength. Do not let anyone mistake your kindness for weakness. When they do that to you, focus on being a better person. Smother them with kindness. It is also important that you learn to walk away from people who are not only taking your kindness for weakness but are also toxic. Such persons will drain you. In a bid to abuse the kindness and privilege you have shown them, they will end up draining you. Walk away from such persons.