Thought of the Week
We often encounter life situations where someone else acts or thinks in misalignment with our own values. “What are they thinking? They’re crazy!” we may say in our heads. But at this precise moment, where our values clash with the values of someone else, we are offered with a great opportunity to challenge ourselves in two ways:
- Question Ourselves: Practice the openness to change. Listen to the other person and honestly question yourself and your own values. By doing this you either strengthen your beliefs on your current values, or you may find something greater.
- Strengthen Your Character: By not falling into the impulse to get mad or to subordinate to a rampant emotion, you are becoming stronger at keeping your stillness & acting aligned to your higher values even when adversity strikes.
- Change the “I was attacked, I need to attack back” narrative to “The fact that this person is acting un-virtuously doesn’t mean that I need to act the same way. This is a great opportunity to practice living up to my values even in difficult circumstances.”
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