What Would You Do?

I had someone come to me yesterday looking for some support because they were having a really bad moment. I think I may have handled the situation wrong so now I feel awful.

There's 3 different approaches I think we can all take when someone turns to us: teddy bears, referees or doctors. They're all right ways to handle the problem but it definitely depends on the situation and what that person's expectations are of you. We can be a "teddy bear" when someone is having a bad day. We can be the shoulder they cry on, give them hugs and encourage them that every thing will be okay. We can be a "referee" when someone comes to us with a problem. We can blow the whistle and point out all the fouls that were made in the situation to point out why the conclusion was negative. And lastly, we can be a "doctor." We can help the individual mend their wounds, patch things up and give them things to help them heal.

I learned in school that sometimes when people come to you they aren't always necessarily looking for someone to help solve their problems. Sometimes they just need someone to hear them out. I should have provided comfort in this situation and applied what I learned in school and been a teddy bear, but I didn't.

Moral of the story, maybe we should learn to be teddy bears more often before we try being referees or doctors.