Thought for the Week

Timothy D. Stein, MFT, CSAT

January 23, 2017

“The door to the human heart can be opened only from the inside.” –Spanish Proverb

Questions I hear frequently are “How do I get them to trust me?,” “How do I get them to see the work I am doing?,” and “How do I get them to see what I am and have been going through?”  The honest answer to these questions is, you can’t make another person trust or acknowledge something.  What you can do is be consistent and transparent.  If and when the other person is ready and willing (and, often, feels safe enough) they will notice.  You cannot determine when or if this will happen.  You can only make yourself a safe and viable option if and when they choose to “open the door to their heart.”

When have I been frustrated that others chose not to “open the door?”  When others did “open the door,” was I a safe and viable option?  What gifts await me as I consistently do my own work to be a safe and viable option for others regardless of whether they “open the door to their heart” or not?