Food for Thought

We had a retreat today at work, and some of the presenters were really good. (I was actually one of the presenters, and I have to say I was amazing! Just kidding, but I did survive without making a fool of myself, plus I think people actually learned some new things! I don't really like the whole public speaking thing, so I was relieved that it went well. And this was definitely another one of those "wow, I'm really grown up" moments.) But anyways, there were quotes from other presenters that I really liked and thought I would include in here. Some food for thought is always good to give me some new perspective and inspiration.

"If I do not want what you want, please try not to tell me that my want is wrong. Or if I believe other than you, at least pause before you correct my view. Or if my emotion is less than yours, or more, given the same curcumstances, try not to ask me to feel more strtongly or weakly. Or yet if I act, or fail to act, in the manner of your design for action, let me be. I do not, for the moment at least, ask you to understand me. That will come only when you are willing to give up changing me into a copy of you.

I may be your spouse, your parent, your offspring, your friend, or your colleague. If you will allow me any of my own wants, or emotions, or beliefs, or actions, then you open yourself, so that some day these ways of mine might not seem so wrong, and might finally appear to you as right - for me. To put up with me is the first step to understanding me. Not that you embrace my ways as right for you, but that you are no longer irritated or disappointed with me for my seeming waywardness. And in understanding me, you might come to prize my difference from you, and, far from seeking to change me, preserve and even nurture those differences." Excerpt from Please Undestand Me by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates (emphasis added)

Such good stuff! Oh how the world could use more of this - tolerance, then acceptance, then embracing the differences of others. And I don't exclude myself from the world - this is definitely something I need to work on as well.

My other favorite quote was this:

"Let us not forget, when we talk of violence, the the death of a young mother in childbirth is violent; that the slow starvation of the mind and body is violent; that pain is violent, that oppression is violent, that early death is violent; and that the death of hope is the most violent of all. The organizer brings hope to the people." Si Kahn

Finally, being a great organizer is recognized as important! Okay, okay; I know the quote isn't talking about charts and to-do lists. But I liked how it says that "the death of hope is the most violent of all." If we can bring calmness and normalcy to others, and keep them hoping, we can literally save lives. Lately I've been thinking about being more of a "peacemaker" - we've been talking about this in church. I know I have a long way to go, though! But I do think that no matter how imperfect we are, we always have the capacity to reach out to others and help those in need. What a sad waste of time it would be if we all lived our own lives, so focused on ourselves that we didn't take time to reach out to others. Hmmm. Just something to think about.