For Today: October 26th

Whoever is aware of his own failings will not find fault with the failings of other men.

James Ross

Other people’s faults invariably match my own.  When I notice some particularly objectionable shortcoming in a person, I can generally be sure it is a defect I detect in myself.

Without self-awareness, the habit of finding fault is a distraction that keeps me from seeing my own mistakes.  As long as I look at another’s wrongheadedness, I don’t see myself---the only person I can change.

A daily tenth step turns my attention to myself so I will know what to do to put my life in order.

For Today:  I don’t need to concern myself with other people’s faults; I have all the detective work I can handle to ferret out my own.

***********************************************************************

I work on fault-finding ALL the time...........even when I am quietly finding fault with someone else, it prevents me from focusing on my OWN faults.  Staying busy looking at YOU stops me from looking at ME; the only person I'm capable of changing.


Sigh.


I work with a 27 year old gal who's extremely self-centered.  Her 28 year old brother passed away on Monday night, unexpectedly, and she came to work yesterday, all dressed up, with make-up perfectly in place.  She told her co-worker she wouldn't allow herself to cry because it would mess up her make-up and she had a date that night.  She seemed totally unfazed by his death, and totally focused on herself...........as usual. 

I immediately found myself judging her.........HOW do you come to work after hearing such devastating news? HOW do you prepare yourself for a DATE with an internet dalliance? HOW do you leave your mother ALONE to process the death of her SON?  On and on I went........quietly, of course, but still seething.


Who am I to judge her?  I have no idea why this woman seems ice-cold, nor is it any of my business.  Her grief, or lack of grief, is hers alone to process, which we all do differently.  I have my own issues to deal with & to keep me focused.  If I spend too much time dwelling on her perceived 'shortcomings', how does that help me deal with my own shortcomings?

For today, I pray to stay out of YOUR business and stay present in my OWN business.  I have plenty of my own faults to work on and for today, I plan to do just that.