Warm Fuzzy vs. Cold Prickly
Back in the 1980's an unusual fad hit called "warm fuzzies". The main idea of the warm fuzzy was that if you complimented others, treated them well, or made them feel good about themselves it was like giving them a warm fuzzy (like getting a warm fuzzy feeling inside). My Mom sold Mary Kay cosmetics back then and they gave away hot pink warm fuzzies for promotional purposes. Of course they were pink... Mary Kay wouldn't have it any other way! Mom ordered some to give to her clients. I can still remember their silly feet and googly eyes...the fuzzies, not the clients! What a crazy thing! Mom let me have a few warm fuzzies, which I gave to friends at school along with a good comment about what I thought about them. Giving warm fuzzies was never a hard thing to do for me. Now I have to work at it a little harder than in the past, but I would like to think I still give out warm fuzzies. I hope I am a person that builds others up and when people leave our conversations or interactions, I hope they feel better about themselves and who they are in the Lord!
But then there were the people who were cold pricklies. We didn't think too much about it back then in the 80's because we were focused on the good and not the bad. As I have gotten older, however, I have met quite a few cold pricklies. You know the type... you just can't get close to them. They are cold and distant... full of pricklies like a porcupine that got a scare. No matter what you do, there is always an invisible wall keeping them at bay. Or those who don't know when to control their tongue and pierce you like a spiritual sniper. They attack and are gone before you even have a chance to absorb or react to their behavior. POOR BEHAVIOR, I might add. How do people get pricklies? Sometimes it's a product of the pain they have had in their own lives. As someone once told me, people can be a lot like wounded bears. They are hurting, but if you get too close, they'll hurt you! Other times it's because of insecurities in their lives. They don't feel worthy of affection or love, so they end up pushing everyone away. They get defensive and the quills come out as soon as they feel threatened. Too often people become like the porcupine and don't give second thought to the quills. They accept them as if they are a normal part of their character and they end up justifying and identifying with them.
Today is simply a reminder for all of us to remember the golden rule and to consider what kind of impact we are having on others. Are you a warm fuzzy or a cold prickly?
But then there were the people who were cold pricklies. We didn't think too much about it back then in the 80's because we were focused on the good and not the bad. As I have gotten older, however, I have met quite a few cold pricklies. You know the type... you just can't get close to them. They are cold and distant... full of pricklies like a porcupine that got a scare. No matter what you do, there is always an invisible wall keeping them at bay. Or those who don't know when to control their tongue and pierce you like a spiritual sniper. They attack and are gone before you even have a chance to absorb or react to their behavior. POOR BEHAVIOR, I might add. How do people get pricklies? Sometimes it's a product of the pain they have had in their own lives. As someone once told me, people can be a lot like wounded bears. They are hurting, but if you get too close, they'll hurt you! Other times it's because of insecurities in their lives. They don't feel worthy of affection or love, so they end up pushing everyone away. They get defensive and the quills come out as soon as they feel threatened. Too often people become like the porcupine and don't give second thought to the quills. They accept them as if they are a normal part of their character and they end up justifying and identifying with them.
Today is simply a reminder for all of us to remember the golden rule and to consider what kind of impact we are having on others. Are you a warm fuzzy or a cold prickly?
