Walking the Mile… to Tolerance.

Howdy everyone, and welcome back. It’s more than great to have you on board again. It’s fantastic.

There is a quote that states “to walk a mile in another man’s shoes”. What does this mean?

A definition I like, is to be able to see the world through the eyes of the person you are communicating with… to imagine why they act the way they do, why they believe the things they do and what they want to get out of the interaction.

An associate mentioned a brilliant example to me the other day that exemplifies this quote. Driving.

As drivers we have a sense of anonymity when it comes to fellow motorists as we are surrounded by a barrier, a shell that provides an extra layer of protection. This tends to provide an avenue for aggressiveness, where normally we may be more timid in our interactions.

So what if someone pulls in front of you? It means about three seconds longer to your destination. If you allow this to frustrate you, you’re going to be in a negative state almost all the time!

There could be a very reasonable reason as to why this person is in a hurry. Take a walk in their shoes! They could be running late for a job interview that breaks an employment drought and could mean an income for a family with four kids. They might have a sick child in the back of the car that needs a doctor as quickly as possible.

I urge everyone to think about your own life and how often you need or even wouldn’t mind a kind gesture from a stranger. Other people have problems as well, and walking a mile in their shoes and showing compassion and tolerance in all areas of life, not just as in the driving example, will allow you to have better and more meaningful relationships with those close to you as well as your community in every day life.

You just need to make the decision to do so.

Live your Ultimate Life.