In Life, sometimes you are on the horns of a dilemma. Sometimes you have to be blunt, and sometimes you have to simply be quiet. What a talent it be would be to always know which is which.

Never do I wish to tell you to be away from your Truth. Never do I wish to tell you to be rude either. There can be Truth, and there can be Courtesy, and sometimes, alas, there doesn’t seem to be an between either.

I do not urge you to be mealy-mouthed or insipid, nor do I tell you to tear someone down and flatten them, nor do I urge you to be duplicitous. Beloveds, in this world, sometimes the kind thing to do is to make yourself clear. This is the dilemma.

Sometimes you have to come out and say something that you don’t really want to say. It may be your responsibility to say if not your desire. Try as you may, there are times when it is right action to say what has to be said, and then there are instances where it is right action to be silent. Or, a lot may depend upon the two personalities and the specific situations. You may have to rely on your intuition rather than intellect.

Maybe you have to get away from the idea that it is unkind to speak up. Honesty can, indeed, be the best policy. Sometimes you have to keep your hands off and let Life take care of itself. I don’t mean just for your own benefit, dear ones, but for the benefit of all. Yes, sometimes in Life it is for you to keep your hands off. What a blessing to know when.

There are times when making something right is your business, and times when it is not. There are two sides – or more. You may want to avoid the straight talk yet you find yourself in a position where being benign doesn’t get the point across.

Dear Ones, your Life and Work are not always about what you always want. Sometimes you do have to pull yourself up by your boot straps. You do no one a favor by being namby-pamby. Kind is not always kind.

You do not have to keep your image of yourself as the “nice cop.” You don’t have to tiptoe around so that no one knows what you are trying to say. You can state your point of view without a big to-do – or maybe you can’t. In any case, the issue is not about how you feel. You are not here on Earth to kid yourself. On the other hand…

Sometimes being blunt is your real kindness. The issue is not about your feeling better or not feeling better. Restraining another does not have to mean you are false to yourself. What you may see as hardheartedness may be common sense. You take your chances.

Beloveds, when something in the world is your responsibility, you cannot play blind. If you are a teacher, you cannot give students A’s when they are not excelling, You may be a peacemaker, yet a peacemaker doesn’t play the role of a pretender. A peacemaker is looking for a common understanding. There is something to be said about coming out of the rain. We’re not talking about anyone’s having the last word.

Do you have to be 100% right? Not on your life. Yet, as much as you would like to be kindness personified, you don’t always have the privilege of a walk in the garden.

Because someone else sees differently from you doesn’t mean that you are opponents. You can both care, and you both can desire harmony.

In order to set the stage for peace, start with a simple inquiry. This is how to begin.