virgin islands scene

Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
 

 

Friday, December 22, 2000

Positive lessons

Everyone you meet today has something to teach you. When you feel yourself getting angry, frustrated or impatient with the behavior of others, ask yourself this question. What is this person helping me to learn? Even those who treat you badly can teach you valuable lessons in patience, compassion, forgiveness and other important virtues.

Letting yourself become annoyed or frustrated with others adds no value whatsoever to your life, or to anyone else for that matter. So take a different approach. Challenge yourself to learn from those difficult people and difficult situations.

When an aggressive driver cuts you off, when a slow sales clerk keeps you waiting, when a telemarketer interrupts your evening, look for something to learn from the experience. Redirect the energy of the situation so that something positive comes of it. Look for a way to grow.

Respond to each encounter in a way that will add value to your life and to your world. You’ll find that such an approach can quickly make an enormous positive difference.

— Ralph Marston

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Copyright ©2000 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.