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What Are They Trying to Teach Me?

Guest post by: Duane Hatfield

Article Overview: Imagine if everyone you come in contact with was going to teach you something. How much different would your perspective on situations change? Instead of being in an attitude knowing all, you now are the one being taught by everyone.

What Are They Trying to Teach Me?

Imagine if everyone you come in contact with was going to teach you something. How much different would your perspective on situations change? Instead of being in an attitude knowing all, you now are the one being taught by everyone.

This would be a sobering thought and experience for us all. To feel everyone knew more than us and they were going to teach us. Do you feel the resistance swelling inside you even as you consider this? How could the people I know teach me anything? I the smart one in my crowds, I can hear it now. I didn’t say they were smarter” than you, only that you open yourself to the notion of learning something from everyone, let’s look at situations and see what can be learned.

For example, you go outside for your morning newspaper and find it on the lawn instead of on the porch. Do you immediately get upset with the paper carrier? How does this set the tone for your day? It seems everything follows suit and you have a bad day.

If instead you try to understand what the paper carrier is trying to teach you, you see things differently. Maybe the regular carrier is sick and a substitute was delivering, learn compassion for the sick, learn understanding about the struggles of those facing unusual circumstances, or that the extra exercise is good for your health.

Next as you begin to leave home your elderly neighbor is walking their dog and are moving slowly. You don’t have time for this and it will make you late. Now impatience sets in and you would like to jump out of your car and carry them out of your way. What are they trying to teach you? Maybe it’s patience, maybe the point of not procrastinating about leaving earlier, or possibly to realize the struggles the elderly have and the blessings you have in your life.

These types of things happen all through the day. You constantly ask yourself, what are they trying to teach me? Each time you learn to be more understanding. Each lesson of the day has made you more aware of the needs of others and how our attitudes affect us.

Now as you are lying in bed and remember the instructions of the day you realize the compassion God has for us as He endures our selfishness.

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Article Tags: compassion, patience, Trying to Teach Me, understanding
Referred by: http://jaykubassek.com



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