Like Mary Poppins, I'm practically perfect in every way......Not!
Sometimes I get mad. I get mad at the guy who just cut me off, I get mad at the people drinking Starbucks, I get mad at the people who hand my kids candy without asking.
I'm guilty of making judgments too. I do it without thinking. She's too fat, he's too dirty, they eat the wrong food and blah blah blah.
Stop.
I made up my mind a long time ago that I wanted to stop doing this but how does one change a habit so ingrained since childhood?
By practicing radical tolerance.
Step One: I assume I do not know the full story because I DO NOT.
Step Two: I recognize their right to make a different choice.
Step Three: I practice instead of preaching and know that my actions speak so loud that my words are drowned out.
Step Four: I try to follow through with my words.
For example, instead of saying, "Ack! That frakin' jerkwad just cut me off! What an idiot!" I say (most of the time tee hee) "Ugh, I didn't agree with his choice."
It really re-frames the moment. I find my different words help to mold different thoughts and I don't get as angry or judgmental. The journey to true "niceness" is a long and hard one. We must make choices everyday, and so must everyone else.
