Don't you just hate when you invite people to an event you created on Facebook and no one RSVPs?
Yeah, me too.
Do you respond to events on Facebook?
Nope? Me neither.
Huh. Isn't that interesting? I am so upset when people don't RSVP, yet I don't either. A little hypocritical, perhaps?
It turns out there are quite a few situations where I might be hypocritical. Not intentionally, of course. But also not consciously... until I stop to look in the mirror.
I remember one time feeling so frustrated with someone because it seemed to me he put everyone else first above his family. And when I said that out loud to my husband, I had this a-ha moment when I realized, "Oh wait, I'll bet some people think I put everyone else first above my family based on my recent actions. Wait, maybe my family thinks that. Uh oh." And I started making different choices as a result.
And I've been thinking about this one lately... I find I get pretty offended or turned off when people use crude language, but when I stop to think about it, I realize I use crude language much more often than I care to admit. I figure I have a few choices... I can cut down on my crude language. I can stop getting so offended by others' crude language. Or I can be a hypocrite. Ouch.
Even though it didn't work out as my profession, I'll always be an English teacher at heart. I'm pretty critical of typos I see in emails and texts. And then I read back over emails and texts I've sent. And I cringe. Because sure enough, I see typos there too.
On everything from RSVPs to prioritizing family to crude language to typos (and countless other situations), looking in the mirror has changed my perspective. It will do the same for you. Ask yourself, "What's my part in this?" You may not like what you learn. But you will be taking the first step to making a positive change.
Photo by Daniil Kuželev on Unsplash