How we see things
“We don’t see things as they are. We see them as we are.”~Anais Nin
Our experience and circumstances shape how we perceive things, as French memoirist Anais Nin reminds us in today’s quote.
If I’ve had a bad meal in a restaurant, for instance, I’m unlikely to try it again — even if my dining companions enjoyed everything they ordered.
Whenever I find myself offended, annoyed, or angered, I’m tempted to adopt the stance of self-righteousness. That’s when I absolutely need to stop and consider the reasons behind another person’s actions or opinions. And that’s when a little empathy comes in handy. Have I taken time to understand what that person might be going through at the time? Am I holding him or her to a standard that I always live up to myself? Is there another way to look at this situation? ~CL
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Cindy La Ferle
Throughout my career, I've worked as a book production editor, travel magazine editor, features writer, and weekly newspaper columnist. My award-winning lifestyles features and essays have appeared in many national magazines and anthologies, including Newsweek, Reader's Digest, The Christian Science Monitor, Writer's Digest, Victoria, Better Homes & Gardens, Bella Grace, and more. My weekly Sunday "Life Lines" column ran for 14 years in The Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI) and won a First Place (Local Columns) award from the Michigan Press Association. My essay collection, Writing Home, includes 93 previously published columns and essays focusing on parenthood and family life.
