The World According to ME!

The World According to ME!

© Allen Merritt (2016)

I don’t know why I wrote that title. It just came to me, so it seems like as good a starting point as anything today in thinking about this past week and preparing for a new one.  I guess if I had to put a finger on it, the world according to me suggests how I (and everyone else who proclaims it) views life from their point of view. We see things the way we see it and sometimes we concur and life goes on. At other times, it may seem like we butt heads with one another. 

I have an old acquaintance that often used to tell me, “Likewise!” when we agreed on things. At other times, it was a “let’s agree to disagree” scenario. In either case, perspective plays a hefty role in how we see things from moment to moment and day to day. No doubt about it.

In continuing the conversation, I discussed a bit of this with a colleague at work this week. Many times a person will see things a certain way when in fact it isn’t that way at all. It appears there are many reasons for this including masking one situation for another, bottling up things inside or taking things out on others over something that has nothing to do with them. Then there is the not knowing the context of a situation or circumstance. Since we are not able to always know what is going on, it is my opinion that it pays to be more responsive than reactive. For me, I view reaction with a negative connotation, because I have never seen it used for good. It usually impacts everyone in its path negatively. Maybe I am a bit old school in some ways, but I think there is a good reason why we should take stock in a situation by proceeding with caution; mainly because it benefits everyone to be responsive and not lash out needlessly.

The other side of this coin seems to point to the idea that we have the power within ourselves to see things in a better light when it is dark outside (or inside). My colleague and I discussed the importance of building ourselves (and others) up as opposed to using the tearing down effect. This requires a conscious effort to nurture and grow. If someone is visibly stressed or distressed, we can usually identify that and respond accordingly. What do you do? Do you pass on a smile or a nice comment? Tell a joke? Or, do you immediately fly off the handle and start yelling, judging and attacking the person or situation? Do we really enjoy taking things out on one another?

We all need a little care. I am the first to say I have my ornery days. I refer to those times when I get perturbed, aggravated or frustrated and don’t feel like tolerating anything as my ornery days. I acknowledge this fallibility in myself and move on. Usually, I don’t outright try to hurt a situation and I do not want to lash out or make rash or irrational decisions while in this state of mind. But I do have to feel it and then move on to change my mind set back to the positive. IF your setting is a bit off, change the setting. Think of life similar to that of the radio dial. Don’t like the channel, change it. We can do the same in our interactions with each other.

Ultimately, we should remember that our world (like it or not) is dependent on living one with the other and it is also distinguished by individual differences. It is not always about me or all about you. It’s about us. We impact each other’s lives tremendously whether we realize it or not or even if we choose to acknowledge it or not.

So in a nutshell, I am thinking that the idea of “the world according to me” should be viewed from every side of the fence. It’s tough, especially with so many sides to a story and various points of view. 

I guess one key is remembering we are all in the same boat even if we come from different backgrounds and experiences. We shouldn’t undermine each others thought processes, potentialities or possibilities even if we are not certain we agree with the process toward an outcome. Why? Because living on earth means always learning and growing. And, that is a gift.

With this in mind, consider where you are in life this week and where you stand in relation to everyone you run into, especially in those moments of uncertainty. What does the world according to you have to say and what lessons can be learned that would help promote living on a positive note?

Have a fantastic and enjoyable week!

Cheers!