Doing the very best that we can

I want to believe that everyone, but everyone, is inherently good. I so want to believe that. And yet, sometimes, it is infinitely hard.

When you’re faced with aggression of any kind, active or passive, with ignorance, when you are demeaned, when you are falsely accused, it is so very hard to remember that people start out good. That life and everything that ensues turns the pure baby into an aggressive adult and that everyone is really doing the best that they possibly can.

I was invited, in one of the books by my fave, Brene Brown, to do this exercise: pick the person you dislike the most, or the person you are having the hardest time with. Now, think they are doing the very best that they can and watch your feelings change. It is a truly amazing exercise and I would recommend it to everyone and anyone.

What if everyone were just doing the best that they can in that given moment? How would that change the way you feel and act? This is not to say we should not have boundaries or that we should take any abuse. By no means! But it will help us address the behaviour and not the person. And this is important.