GIVING PEOPLE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT is one of the most valuable practices or ways of thinking that was instilled in me from childhood. It might even have been THE most valuable one. My parents naturally operated this way – particularly my mom (and she still does). I am forever grateful for this. ☺️🙏
Make no mistake: I can jump to conclusions, and be as suspicious and skeptical as anyone else.
But it has served me well, to think the best – rather than the worst – of people wherever possible, and whenever I remember.
To contemplate…
…could there be a more benign explanation for this, rather than the maliciousness or intentional nature with which I might have initially thought it was done? 🤔
…might the seeming disrespect, or rudeness, or whatever it is – be nothing about me or even directed at me, at all? 🤔 In fact, it rarely is about us. Sometimes we just end up feeling hurt due to an interpretation of something that was never even about us at all.
…might this difficult, frustrating or annoying situation that I find myself in – seemingly at the hands of another – not even be this person’s fault, but the result of a bizarre turn of events that befell them, and over which they had no control? 🤔
…can I think the best of this person, rather than the worst? 🤔
…the idea of not blaming or assigning fault, but simply dealing with the situation from a more neutral place? 🤔
See how these ideas land in your world today. ❤️