If you want that good feeling that comes from doing things for other folks, then you have to pay for it in abuse and misunderstanding.- Zora Neale Hurston

In my situation, what was misunderstood was my intention.

But intention – or more accurately, the correct interpretation of intention – is subject to personal filters, attitudes, sense of self-worth and world view…all things we cannot control in others. So, conveying intention can be a crap-shoot. And then, if intention comes into question later, there’s no explanation that satisfies.

Why?

Because, likely, the problem is in the recipient’s personal filters, attitudes, sense of self-worth and world view – none of which YOU can control or explain, of course, because they’re not yours.

All I’m left with now is my good intention. And thankfully, a healthy self-esteem which knows what really happened.