How we see things
“We don’t see things as they are. We see them as we are.”~Anais Nin, memoirist
We humans view everything through the lens of our personal experience, which includes our upbringing and education, where we’ve lived, and the people who form our tribe. Things get tricky when we encounter others who see things differently than we do.
Whenever I’m offended or angered, I adopt a self-righteousness attitude. But that’s exactly the moment I need to pause and reconsider the reasons behind another person’s behavior, according to author David Brooks in How to Know a Person. Have I taken time to understand what the other person might be going through? What backstory is driving the person who is offending or hurting me? Am I living up to the highest standards that I expect others to uphold? Is there another way to look at this situation? ~CL
**** Due to a subscription service error, yesterday’s “Life Lines” post was delivered to your email without the accompanying photo. If you view the post on the home page in your browser, you’ll see my photo of our lovely dog Coco with our fiesty grand-dog, Remy. If you missed other posts recently, you can always view Life Lines in your browser. ****
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.
