Best

Today I was standing in a bakery line with my kids, waiting to pick up pastries. Our next stop was my sister's house to help care for my newborn niece.

From my place in line I saw someone pull up to an illegal parking spot in front of the store. My primitive brain right away went to judgement. " What a jerk. How entitled. "

Out popped a young woman wearing a sundress...with a big cast on her foot.

The car dropped her off in front of the bakery and went to find a legal parking spot.

This is a great example of making generous assumptions about others.

I want you to consider this question: Do you typically assume that most people are trying their best?

Do you tend to think that you are doing your best?

When you are generous about other people, you can also be kinder and less critical of yourself. The end result is you feel better, less resentful, less irritated, and less judgemental of yourself and others.

The good news is that this is something you can learn. I have been paying attention to this and I saw my brain think negatively about the car pulling up. I was surprised that the universe rewarded me with the woman and her cast.

Often times it doesn't.

Often times we can't know whether the person driving like a lunatic on the freeway actually has a wife in labor, or the patient who came late was actually helping an elderly person cross the street.

It doesn't matter. It isn't about whether people actually are always doing their best.

It is when we assume they are, we can be kinder and less irritated by life and often times avoid conflict and have deeper and more loving connections with the people we care about.

Who doesn't want that?

(concepts from Rising Strong by Brene Brown, our recent book virtual book club book).

Picture of baby niece below for extra cuteness. Pink hair clips courtesy of 3 year old niece. Sleepy babies are the BEST!!!!