Beech: The Tolerance Flower. From Know-it-all to Better Understanding

For those who need to see more good and beauty in all that surrounds them.  And, although much appears to be wrong,  to have the ability to see the good growing within.  So as to be able to be more tolerant, lenient and understanding of the different way each individual and all things are working to their own perfection.                                                                                   – Dr Edward Bach

 

Beech helps us be more tolerant and strengthen our relationships with others.  How often have you silently or out loud condemned or criticised someone you may know intimately, or made a judgment call on someone you have just met?  We have all done this at one time or another.  Some people get under our skin, and all we can see at that moment is everything that is wrong with them.  That’s a good time to take Beech!

Jane, one of my colleagues, takes Beech when her Mother-in-law comes to stay.  Jane knows that she will be criticized and receive a lot of feedback during these visits.  So instead of giving equal criticism back, even though she may be silently complaining in her head, Beech helps her to tolerate the situation.

A school friend of mine from when we were 11 years old noticed that as she grew older, she became less tolerant of people.  “I just can’t stand stupid people anymore!”  We would laugh about her comments, but it’s the way people are and the way they act that we can’t always cope with.  “Why can’t people see things my way?” will often be a comment from someone needing Beech.

I remember another colleague, Alan, sharing a memory that, as a child, he was drawing a picture of a bird on paper, and his father going, “That’s not how you do it!  This is how you must do it!”  When Alan takes Beech, external criticism slides off him, especially at Christmas family events.  The saying “water off a duck’s back” applies well here!

A quote from a professional who uses these remedies frequently always makes me laugh.  “My Mom is super, super critical, and so when I want to kill everyone in my family for breathing – that’s when I know I need Beech!”

When people are unlike us, it can be tempting to judge them for being different.  This is where we could use the opportunity to become slower to condemn and quicker to praise.

Ultimately, Beech can bolster our relationships by encouraging us to see the positive potential in others, despite their imperfections.  Beech can help release rigid attitudes and foster a sense of increasing compassion.

Some empowering statements could be:

 

I’ll meet you halfway.                                                                                                                       

I accept diversity in others.

I relinquish my feelings of judgment.

I create well-being and possibilities with kindness to myself and others.

 

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