While I strive to work and be better at taking my own advice, I have always adored the quote above. I think it is easy to get caught up in ones own day or way of doing things, and when someone or something crosses our path unplanned, we tend to get bothered by it. Perhaps someone didn’t react to something the way you thought they would to a favor you asked for. Or perhaps they don’t live up to the image you had of them in your mind. The flawless and perfectly groomed image. Maybe you didn’t get up early enough for work and the person serving your coffee can’t understand that you’re in a hurry and needed your coffee 2 minutes ago. We always have options with how we behave and the actions we take when things aren’t going our way. When these things involve other people, I think it’s important to tread lightly.
I think it’s important to remember how heavy spoken words are. How long they can linger, and the damage they can do. I think it’s just as important to remember that you have no idea what the person on the other end of your life at the moment is going through, or has gone through, to make them the person they are at that inopportune moment in time.
I think it’s important to celebrate the difference in this world, accept that things are ever-changing, and just because someone isn’t the flawless image you held them up to – you can still love and accept them for who they are. Take a minute to relax, breath and perhaps be a little uncomfortable for the sake of someone else. Bite your tongue often and learn that it is a heavy sword, and be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
