A few months ago,
I arranged to have some pencils imprinted for a class I was taking…
with the helpful awareness and reminder…
“Everyone is doing the best they can”
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I keep reminding myself of this idea, and I do find it so helpful!
I have, however, noticed that it’s a lot easier to live with this awareness when everyone is aligned with similar ideas, similar motivations and similar ways of doing things…all nice and orderly like the pencils in this basket…
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Unfortunately, our interactions with other people often aren’t that “orderly.”
Some days, it might feel more like this…
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We all have so many varying motivations, habit patterns, beliefs, values,
interaction styles and ways of looking at things…
as each one of us is attempting to do “the best we can”
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When I’m in the midst of those variations, I’m finding it A LOT more difficult to keep this level of acceptance in mind… we may all be doing the best we can, but it sure can be hard to see that at times!
My own “best I can” might be very different from someone else’s “best I can”… but for me to try, as often as possible, to keep this in mind…
And perhaps…. just as important as being aware of others doing the best they can…
to realize and appreciate that we also are doing that….
To try to keep this in mind…
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doing our best to view ourselves and others with..
awareness, understanding, acceptance, kindness and compassion
“Everyone is doing the best they can”
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Pocket Perspectives 
Great reminder, Kathy! Thank you. 🙂
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Thank you Robin…
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I find it often easier to remind myself that others are doing the best they can, and more difficult to remind myself that I am doing the best I can. This reminded me a bit of Pick up Sticks and how you have to focus on the pile to find the one stick you can lift without causing total confusion. hmmmm
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Yes, I think it’s more difficult for many of us to be kind and understanding with ourselves and to acknowledge that we also are doing the best we can. The original post didn’t have the images about “I’m doing the best I can”…I realized after I posted that extending the kindness to oneself is so important, so made and added a few more.
And…ahhh, yes…pick up sticks… I still quiver when I think of taking a turn… Have you seen this pick up sticks idea? https://pocketperspectives.wordpress.com/pull-weeds/pick-up-sticks-dont-touch-that-stick/
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oh that post is just excellent.
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thanks Joss…using that metaphor and creating thoes pages really helped me learn to step away from it all, as often as possible. I use DGT (“don’t go there”) a lot now…most recently from around 2-4 am, this morning…. ahhhhh… DGT
https://pocketperspectives.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/dongoth-dont-go-there/
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Wow, what a beautiful lesson, Kathy. I needed to read this today as I am doing the best I can and sometimes frustrated when I fall behind my efforts.
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Thank you Marie…
Marie, it sounds like you are constantly doing the best you can…I hope that we all can keep this idea in mind…. especially about ourselves…. isn’t it odd that we can more often do that when thinking about others than for ourselves? Well, it’s “learnable”…by steady awareness, affirmation and reminding, so that’s what we can do.
(I’ve been trying to nurture and develop this idea…with some pages up in the “greenhouse” area… partly from the point of view of appreciating others, but also of the importance of nurturing appreciation within/of oneself, too… kindness and understanding with oneself… https://pocketperspectives.wordpress.com/other/increasing-flexibility-kindness-and-compassion-i-didnt-mean-to-be-unkind/ … “part 2” isn’t necessary… it’s an extension of the beginning… )
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