I was fortunate to make it into town last night in just enough time to catch the last hour or so of the weekly men’s group that I’m a part of. After being a part of this men’s group for over three years now, I’m still amazed at the honesty and genuineness that is felt and expressed with this group of guys. These guys have helped me through some times in my life that could very well have been some dark days for me. Because of their support, attentiveness and the fact that they care, those dark days were fairly easy to overcome. Those days just ended up being little speed bumps in life that were not worth fretting over.
During our Monday Night gatherings there are times I walk away with a little nugget that I can’t seem to shake the rest of the week. Last evening was one of those gatherings. One of the guys stated, “We require of others that which we are deficient in.”
This statement hits home. I have said something like this before to several people and very few people have even remotely acted like there could be some truth to it. The majority of people I have said it to immediately say they disagree. Here is the statement I’ve been using for the last few years: “The things other people do that we dislike in them are usually the things that we do too, yet we don’t see ourselves as doing those things.” Now, this might not be true for everyone, however I know it is true for me.
It is a daily, if not hourly, struggle to put myself in the other person’s shoes when I start down this path of self-righteousness. It is much easier to see fault in someone else before we see it in ourselves, that’s an easy assessment. However, I’m intrigued with (in my life) the fact that the things that irritate me the most about other people are the same things that I’m probably worse at than the person I’m irritated with. It is as though I’m angry with myself so I’m going to find that same quality in someone else and take it out on them. Pretty self-righteous, huh?
I dislike power-hungry people; but I like power.
I HATE gossip; but I feel as though I gossip.
I can’t stand it when people put themselves first; but I’m always first.
Little non-consequential details are not my thing; yet most stories I tell are riddled with little non-consequential details.
Funny thing, it looks like I’m the person I dislike.
It appears to me that there are two different paths for me to choose: 1) Change myself, or 2) Change the way I look at other people.
Or could I try to do both……
…running though my mind…
