Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. ~Plato, Philosopher

Good morning! I once listened to a speaker who shared a story I will never forget. He was at a restaurant working on a speech. He had hoped to have some "quiet time" to reflect and prepare. Shortly after he arrived, a family was seated about three tables away. The children were misbehaving badly. They were stomping forks and knives on the table, pulling at each other, and making a general ruckus. The speaker couldn't understand how this father could let his children behave like that... or why he would take such misbehaved children into public.

He tried to be patient, but after 20 minutes of these noise levels sustaining, he asked his waitress to ask the family to quiet down if possible. The father then stood up and walked over to the speaker. The next words changed the speaker's outlook forever. "I am sorry sir," he said in a kind, sincere and sad voice. "The children just lost their mother two days ago -- and I just haven't been able to get them to settle down since. I thought getting a good meal in them would help." He and the speaker went on to exchange a few lines and parted on good terms. Of course, the speaker wasn't "wrong" for wanting his private time to prepare and reflect. Nor was the father "wrong" for taking his children out for a meal. What often happens is we think in terms of "right and wrong" when in reality every story has different angles--sometimes many different angles. Looking at these angles is great exercise for the mind.

Your turn:
We all have habitual tendencies which will allow us to believe something about a given situation, whether it is right or not. Try to stop worrying about right and wrong. Instead, exercise your mind and come up with as many reasons as you can--explore all the angles.

Your affirmation:
I do not concern myself with right and wrong. I do concern myself with understanding.
 

Challenge Life!

Brook Noel