December 23rd - Purposely act versus react?

The story...

Habits, routines, honest personal reflection, relationship building, kindness, prayer, quiet meditation, showing respect and a propensity for doing versus waiting till "I feel like it" have all worked well for me. This incomplete list is fundamental for building up the unique me.  We all know that we make sense of our lives and the environments we live in with mental models that are incomplete, flawed, and biased, or bent, to reflect what we want to be true.  I hope that we continue to walk toward our life's aim in an honest, humble, thoughtful, and peaceful way.

How do I react to those whose ways, manners, physical characteristics, age, actions, beliefs, experiences, education, aims... are significantly different from me?  In the future, I hope to seek to understand them before I attempt to be "help" them understand me - Steven Covey principle.  This one focus seems to enable a whole lotta of other good stuff.

The only church in town is a great place to meet up with co-sojourners for your life journey.  You can find friends with a common aim, who're on a similar path, that you can relate to, and are in a similar stage along the path.  It's important to work out your reality with  others too - there're many opportunities to love, and be loved by, most of the everybody.  Relationships and love seem to be the good stuff in life.  Good stuff is available within the only church in town - God's presence within the Body of Christ  - yes, it's mysterious.

Just for today...

"I would not want this person as a friend, but I do need to work with him as a professional. I don't like him... However, . . . I treat him with the same courtesy and respect I would like him to give me, regardless of whether or not he gives it.  I let it begin with me and act rather than react."  Hope for Today (p. 358)