Treat people better in 2011

People can only take so much before they reach their breaking point and that’s a fact. It might be a matter of weeks, months, years or even decades but, once they reach that vital point; turning back is no longer an option.

A lot of us choose to ignore or conveniently forget this until ripples start to show on the calm surface we take for granted and we are left wondering what led to such extremes.

Watching Libya and Yemen’s revolts on the news the other day led me to think of just how much we take people for granted and sometimes expect them to eat up whatever we throw out without so much as a question or complaint.

Case in point; the Tunisian uprising that spread to Egypt and is now having a ripple effect across nations with autocratic leaders. The latest victims of this anger and frustration are: Libya, Bahrain, Algeria, Iran and Yemen.

Now, let me make it clear that I am not a  political analyst, therefore, in no way is my basic translation of what is happening in the Middle-East based on anything political in this country or anywhere else for that matter.

I would like to look at it from a social perspective and take it down a notch so it applies to the daily lives of men and women in the warm heart of Africa. Of course, on this level, whatever treatment we mete out to others is nowhere near as extreme as a dictatorial regime, but it might have the same effect of forcing people to inwardly despise us.

The way we treat our domestic help within the home, our juniors or employees within the workplace, our partners and even our friends might be detrimental to how they eventually react and feel about us.

If we, for example, expect them to give of their time, their energy, their support and finances without reciprocating or so much as a thank-you, there will come a time when the light-bulb will go off and they will realise their lives would actually be better without us!

As the Bible points out; love your neighbour as you love yourself. Treat others the same way that you would like to be treated; with empathy, love and respect. I have humbly learnt, along life’s journey, that friendship, relationships and our dealings with people are a two-way traffic. You have to invest time, money, love and what-not into them so that your friend, co-worker, employee, partner does the same and the experience is mutually satisfying.

If you come across an ungrateful person who doesn’t appreciate your courtesy, at least you tried!