The dangerous "but" (Originally posted on Facebook Dec 2, 2011)

There is a 3 letter word in the English language that appears to have some pretty impressive power. That word is "but". It seems that when this word is used, the statement that comes before the "but" is forgotten and the focus is directed to the statement afterwards. Such as "You're a nice guy but you annoy me." The fact that you said something kind is quickly forgotten. The real danger comes when we use this 3 letter word as we talk to ourselves. "I know I'm a good person but I really lose my temper easily." "I have such a caring heart but I'm ugly and no one would like me." A real challenge is to pay attention to how often you use that word both in conversations with others as well as with yourself. You might be surprised at how often we ignore the good things about ourselves and focus on the bad.