Your Daily Encouragement 9/30/2021 - September 30th is Love People Day

One piece of advice I can give you, should you wish to take it, that's been a huge life changer to me, and only recently I connected the pieces is:

If you ever feel like you hate someone, don't hate people. Hate the situation, or their actions, or their behaviors. Believe it or not, they are doing their best.

I've tried to live by these words – “don't hate the people, hate the situation, or their behaviors", since I read it, probably a decade ago.

After I recently listened to a talk by Brené Brown, she mentioned that we tend not to believe people are doing their best, but they are, most of the time. This isn't a pun or a play on words. People actually are doing the best they can, or they think they're doing the best they can. Most of the time, it isn't on purpose if their blog irritates you, or if their post irritates you, if they talk loud on the phone in another language (I did this, not on purpose, was yelled at, never did it again). They don't want to get on your nerves (maybe some people do). However, remember when Jesus said: forgive them because they don't know what they're doing? Breaking news from year one: People don't know what they're doing. They believe they're doing their best, most of the time. 

There's something else that Joel Osteen says that his father actually used to say: everyone is allowed to have a bad day. With our nature and culture, it's tough what we've been conditioned by ourselves or society to do: curse back or yell or show a finger in traffic when they cut us off…. but in reality, they could be having a bad day. I know I feel like a dork writing this blog. However, we all have to come to this realization so that we don't live our lives blaming others, trying to cut others off because we were cut off. If someone tends to pull the rug from under your feet, it isn't your problem. It's their problem. Maybe they were conditioned by their family to act like that. Now I sound like a preacher. I know. I know.

Anyway….and a big anyway: try to love people today. It can make a difference to love people when they cut you in traffic. Ian (my husband) is not allowed to touch my horn to beep at people when I'm driving anymore. And he's the patient one; I don't know why he does that at times.

Have an amazing day and try your best to love people. Or as Yoda would say best: there's no try. Do or do not.