08/20/2026
🐍 If a snake bites you, you don’t chase after the snake asking, “Why did you bite me?”
You don’t try to convince the snake that what it did was wrong.
You don’t spend hours analyzing its intentions, replaying the moment, or waiting for the snake to apologize.
You tend to the wound.
You get yourself to safety.
You care for what was hurt.
You learn what you need to learn.
And you become more aware of where you place yourself next time.
People can be like that, too.
Sometimes people hurt us. Sometimes they disappoint us, reject us, misunderstand us, or behave in ways that feel deeply unfair.
And while we may desperately want them to explain themselves, take responsibility, or understand the impact they’ve had on us, our healing doesn’t have to depend on their willingness to do those things.
The world is largely neutral.
People do what people do.
Things happen.
We are the ones who give those experiences meaning.
That doesn’t mean the hurt isn’t real. It means we get to decide what the hurt means about us.
Their behavior doesn’t have to mean I’m not enough.
Their rejection doesn’t have to mean I’m unworthy.
Their anger doesn’t have to mean I’ve done something wrong.
Their inability to love us well doesn’t have to mean we are difficult to love.
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is stop chasing the snake…
…and turn our attention back toward ourselves.
Tend to the wound.
Learn from it.
Protect yourself.
And choose where you place your energy next.
You don’t need the snake to understand why it bit you in order to heal. 🐍🤍
