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

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 peace and quiet time to reflect and prepare.  Shortly after he arrived, a family was seated about three tables away.  The children were behaving 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 misbehaving children in public.

He tried to be patient, but after twenty minutes of the noise, 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.  But, we often 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 that allow us to believe something about a given situation, whether it is right or not.  Try to stop worrying about right or wrong.  Instead, exercise your mind and come up with as many reasons for different situations as you can – explore all the angles.

Today’s Affirmation:  I do not concern myself with right and wrong.  I do concern myself with understanding.

 And as always, don't forget to start your day with a heartfelt: "Something great is going to happen today... I can't wait to see what it is!"And when ending your day ask yourself: "What is one more thing I can do to make today matter?

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