I’ve been thinking a lot about “defensiveness” lately. My pondering was first sparked by a
conversation with a friend a few months ago.
This conversation got me to wondering just what defensiveness is all
about. So, I’ve become a “watcher” of
sorts. Life gives me lots of
opportunities to see “defensiveness” in action ~ both in my own life and in the
lives of others. Here are some of the
things I’ve observed:
When I’m defensive it usually masks the fear I feel, fear
that maybe I’m wrong, fear that I’m not good enough, sometimes even fear that
I’m not accepted.
Sometimes I use my defensiveness as a means to avoid taking
a look at myself and instead blame the other person because he or she doesn’t
see things like me.
I have even noticed my defensiveness is sometimes just a
habit. It seems I often assume others
think I’m way off base so I lead with defensiveness as a protection.
Recently I sat in a meeting where there was much discussion
about how we can ensure our boys are prepared to serve missions. I felt myself becoming defensive. But I chose not to stay there. I let go of the fear, let go of my own
preconceived judgments of others, and instead added my own thoughts and
perspectives from a place of love. What
a difference it made!
