Sometimes, the weight of resentment can feel so heavy that we start looking for ways to push others down just so we can feel a little bit taller. This old proverb reminds us that the energy we put out into the world eventually finds its way back to us. When we spend our precious time digging pits of negativity, jealousy, or sabotage, we aren't actually hurting the other person as much as we are creating a trap for our own hearts. The trap is the bitterness itself, which keeps us stuck in a cycle of malice instead of allowing us to grow.
In our everyday lives, this often looks much smaller and more subtle than a literal pit. It might be a snide comment made behind a colleague's back, or a small act of social exclusion intended to make someone feel unwelcome. We might think we are winning a small battle, but in reality, we are just building a landscape of hostility that we will eventually have to walk through ourselves. The negativity we create becomes the very atmosphere we have to breathe every single day.
I remember a time when I felt quite a bit of envy toward a friend who had just achieved a major milestone. I found myself making little passive-aggressive remarks, hoping to diminish her joy. But as I sat with those words, I realized that my attempts to 'dig a pit' for her success were actually making me feel miserable and small. I was the one trapped in the pit of my own making, unable to celebrate anything because I was too busy focusing on her downfall. It took a lot of gentle self-reflection to realize that my negativity was poisoning my own peace.
It is so much more rewarding to use our hands to plant seeds of kindness rather than to dig holes of resentment. When we lift others up, we inadvertently lift ourselves up too. The world is much wider and brighter when we focus on building bridges instead of barriers.
Today, I want to encourage you to take a moment to look at your recent interactions. If you find any traces of negativity or ill-will in your heart, try to gently fill those holes with a little bit of compassion. How would your day change if you focused entirely on being a builder of joy rather than a digger of pits?