"Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it." Mark Twain
"Working with people can be Dickens-like: it can be the best of times and the worst of times. Although many of us feel blessed to work with kind and amazing angels, most of us meet or deal with people that, to be succinct, need a chill pill or a good swift kick. That is, until we walk in their moccasins. Reading the following from Brad Wilcox in Raising the Bar gave food for my soul on this very subject:
"When someone lies to us or lets us down, we can look for the secret. What has happened in his life to make him act this way? When someone gossips, look for the secret. What has made that person so insecure? What kind of pain has been dealt with to cause such low self-esteem? When someone has pulled away rejecting the very expressions of love that are so needed, look for the secret. What has made her feel so angry, alone, and devalued?"
This week when rubbing shoulders with each other, I invite us to look for the "secret", the emotional clues that will help us better understand another, and the ability to walk in their moccasins, or Nikes, or stilettos, for just a little while.
