The other day I saw a woman I know crying. I say that I know her, which I do, but I typically don’t enjoy spending time with her. I find her to have a big ego and she’s very competitive. I also find myself avoiding her when I see her. However, the other day, when I saw her crying, something hit me: Everyone, even those with big egos, can be hurt. They can be hurt so much that they cry.
An obvious statement, I know, but what made me feel so unsure about my own moral compass was – how did I judge her from the outside, rather than thinking about the fact that she was likely just like me on the inside? How selfish of me …
As if that wasn’t sobering enough, Nelson Mandela dies. The absolute king of not judging from the outside. How did he do it? Why aren’t I doing it?
Now, we know I am no Nelson Mandela but the idea should be in the fore of my mind. I should be careful about judging those I don’t care for. I should be forgiving the stuff I don’t like about people and focusing on that which I do like (even if it sometimes is very little!). I really want to work on this life skill.
That’s all. It’s been a long week and I’ve got a few more in front of me. I (and my brave assistant!) will be moving to a new firm in a week (that was the big decision) and looking forward to new life adventures and likely meeting a bunch more cool people!
Have a great weekend!