Ever notice yourself complaining about your neighbor always talking on his cell phone so loudly … or the person in the supermarket taking forever to pay at checkout … or a senior driving so slowly on the freeway you figure she shouldn’t be allowed to drive?
What if you took a beat and observed yourself on any given day.
Chances are your driving might well be under par sometimes, too. Remember the other day when that guy honked at you for weaving into his lane while you were daydreaming?
That was you.
Ever wonder why you’re so critical of your neighbor’s motorcycle that clutters up his driveway? And, oh yes, the way he gets decked out in all that tacky leather gear. Maybe you’ve always secretly wanted to take a ride on a Harley and prove you, too, were born to be wild.
What if he was the part of you that wanted more?
Ever wonder why you shamed the guy at work for having a hair transplant, when inside you know your own hair is thinning — and you just don’t have the courage to admit it and go for a consultation like your coworker did.
What if he was the part of you that wanted more?
What about the way you downplayed that beauty spa treatment your friend took? The one you say you don’t need? In fact, you have a fear of — and a secret longing for — getting naked along with your friend and everyone else, and immersing yourself in those warm and healing waters.
What if she was the part of you that wanted more?
Before you jump to judgment, take that essential pause and reflect: “Perhaps there is something I see in the other person that I think I don’t deserve, when I really do.”
Whether it’s more patience, more self-care, more physical attention, more relaxation, or more connection, notice that the very thing you criticize may be the very thing you need.