Many will say, "Give others the benefit of the doubt."
I think this is good advice. Unless someone's actions truly show us that they are untrustworthy or hold contempt, in general, people are well intentioned, and we should give them the benefit of the doubt.
As we age and become more confident about who we are and where we are headed, it is easier to embrace others with an open mind and acceptance related to their strengths and shortcomings.
We won't have everything that people need, but we will find that there are times when we have exactly what another person needs or wants, and that's a gracious moment. There will be times too when someone else in our midst has just exactly what we need or want, and that's great too.
I hate to watch someone struggle especially when I don't have what it takes to mitigate that struggle. Yet I can always demonstrate empathy, compassion, a listening ear, and warm acceptance in times like these. As I've watched people struggle over time with a myriad of issues and challenges, I've noticed that for those who reach out to help themselves in positive ways, there's generally a successful ending to those struggles. Even sadly when a struggle is the kind that ends in death, there is often great moments of connection, redemption, and love at the end if people will their struggle in that direction.
Life, not unlike the landscapes around us, is a series of hills, mountains, valleys, plains, and plateaus. We can choose the attitude and attention we have as we traverse our life's landscape looking to others all the way for inspiration, wisdom, direction, and understanding. Hopefully we can guide as much as we are guided along this life path we take. Onward.
