What am I tolerating? If you don’t like the word “tolerating,” try one of these: bearing; enduring; stomaching; allowing; putting up with. So, ask the question again using one of the other words. Whatever word you put in there, it’s still a bit uncomfortable, isn’t it? None of us wants to admit we’re enduring, putting up with, or tolerating a person, place, or situation, but we actually do it quite often.
Now, let’s be clear, there are certain things we tolerate because life isn’t perfect and neither are the people we spend our time with. For example, your son’s messy room, the toilet seat being left up, your friend always being late, your brother’s annoying dog, etc. I’m talking about tolerating the big stuff. The stuff we tell ourselves doesn’t bother us or there’s nothing we can do about it, so we just put up with it.
Perhaps it’s a bullying co-worker or boss, a dead-end career, a sad marriage, poor physical health, a disrespectful love partner, etc. You get the idea, right? We just....tolerate it. Well, how about we don’t? How about we call it out.
This week honestly and courageously ask yourself “What am I tolerating?” Give yourself permission to admit that it bothers you. Dare to believe there IS something you can do about it.