Tuesday; February 11

Most of us have been raised with a belief that we are responsible to others for our actions.  We have been taught that we must be careful of how we treat people because what we do may have a negative impact on them.  We must keep the feelings of others in mind when we choose to do what they do. 

While this is a good way to check whether we should do something, it can be a stressful way to live.  When we constantly worry about the impact our actions - no matter how simple - have on others, we are constantly evaluating and reevaluating what we do.  We are constantly watching for signs of how we MIGHT have caused hardships to others.    

Considering the repercussions of our actions is a good system-backup process, but it can be an exhausting primary system.  It wears us out to constantly be worrying about how our actions influenced what happened to others.  Let's be sensitive to what we do ... but let's not allow it to run (or ruin) our contentment. 

Remember, until people give us the ability to regulate their thoughts or control their actions, they are still responsible for how they react to their circumstances.   We can't help them by worrying about what might happen; about the best we can do is watch how our actions impact them, then make adjustments if and when it is necessary.  In other words, let’s make the best choices we can and use wisdom to monitor the impact what we do has on others.  No, we may not need to change our actions, but we might be able to help others deal with what we do. 

Think About It!

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday; November 29

The biblical story of the Good Samaritan has changed our world. Notice I didn’t say that it had change religion or even Christianity, it has influenced the world. There are very few people who don’t know the moral of Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan. In fact, the phrase has become a common description of everyday people doing good to their neighbors. While Jesus’ parable from Luke 10 shares several spiritual lessons, one of the most practical is that good can be done by anyone. You don’t have to be a church official to do good, it is not only possible for each one of us to help, it is required of all of us. If a Samaritan can be good, so can we! After presenting the parable, Jesus asked the man who had originally asked the question about being a good neighbor which character in the story was a good neighbor, “… he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’” at which point, the discussion from theoretical to personal, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’” (Luke...
Read more

Thursday; January 12

The other day I was watching a television show that used a rather common term applied to overcoming challenges. When organizations experience unexpected setbacks – especially when they lose key people – they rely upon the concept of “Next Man Up”. In essence, when our starters (or stars) go down, effective organizations rely upon their next levels to step into the vacancy. While this is an effective response, have we given much thought as to how we prepare to be the “next people up”? First, we must know our job. Even when we aren’t the primary players, we need to be preparing ourselves to be ready when we get the opportunity to shine. Second, we must do our best when we get the chance. Knowledge is important but what turns potential into talent is effort. Yet, maybe the most underappreciated aspect of this concept is a willingness avoid excuse-making and whining about the unfairness of our situation. When we complain about the circumstances that caused the need for replacements...
Read more

Monday; September 25

When I was a youngster, I remember hearing about this thing called the Generation Gap. I was a little bit too young to be active in the social movements of the 1960s, but I do remember listening to the challenges the generations were experiencing way back then. Interestingly, now that I have been on both sides of the aging process, I have to admit that the Gap of the 1960s was nothing new. With the development of each generation comes conflict. The young people don’t feel like the older people understand them and the older folks tend to believe their input is being underappreciated. Too often trust is the casualty when two generations collide. The sad thing is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When we can capture the innovation and energy of the younger folks and harness the wisdom of those who have been around for a while we can develop a winning combination. No, we won’t always see things eye-to-eye nor will we necessarily speak the same emotional language, but when we app...
Read more