From
Pieces
of Stupidsm
to
Pieces of Truthsm
Ignoring a neighbor’s child because you’re angry with her dad.
Lying through a situation because you don’t want to admit a wrong.
Being unfriendly to a colleague because he was given a promotion
that you wanted.
The question to you is, “What do these examples have in common?”
And now, my final answer is: “They are ‘Pieces of Stupidsm’
“.
I could name plenty of my own. “Pieces of Stupid”- calculated and
by surprise- attack me every day. Do they get to you too? But
the operative point is, do we allow “Pieces of Stupidsm”
to take root, or do we learn from them and turn to “Pieces of Truthsm”.
The sad fact is this. When we do not learn from our “Pieces of
Stupidsm”,
when we allow them to become bad habits in our lives, we run the
risk of becoming stupid people. And quickly, before the term gets
to you, remember what stupid means. Foolish. Irrational. Lacking
understanding. Can’t you agree that disrespecting others and
hurting your relationships and goals is a stupid choice to make?
A woman in my life has taught me a lot about turning “Pieces of
Stupidsm”
into “Pieces of Truthsm”.
When I first met her, she was reeling from the experience of having
a best friend pursue her husband. The presumed friend had flirted,
gossiped, lied and never apologized for her behavior (hmmm, her own
“Pieces of Stupidsm”,
but that’s another story). My acquaintance, a victim at first,
transitioned from her victim status to much stronger character. She
took her anger, hurt, hate, and bitterness to much different and
higher emotional ground. Her focus on the pursuit of truth in that
relationship took her to a place that includes forgiveness of the
former friend, making peace with an irreparable relationship, and a
greater acceptance of herself as a valued person. The experience
has been excruciatingly painful to her, but she has felt the joy of
turning “Pieces of Stupidsm”
into “Pieces of Truthsm”.
And she now says that she lives a more truthful life in many ways.
She’s a piece of work alright, a beautiful piece of
work!
We can be reminded of the “Pieces of Stupidsm”
that occur on a fairly regular basis. Wouldn’t our lists include
these sorts of things? Avoiding the truth. Holding a grudge.
Snobbishness. Not listening. Judgmental. Unkind. Defensive.
Dishonoring commitments. Withholding approval. Lying. Coveting.
Fearful living. I read and reread, knowing that I must plead guilty
to more than one. (And we know that there are dozens more to
consider). However, it’s not enough to feel guilty and do nothing.
Our beauty emerges as we choose to admit the wrong, make amends, and
make the choices that build relationships and achieve valued goals.
To this end, here are three of the most powerful questions that we
can ask in our pursuit of “Pieces of Truthsm”:
What is the best investment of my time and energy right now (for
relationship strength and the achievement of goals)?
How can I be helpful to you (relevant to relationship strength and
your goals)?
What did I learn today that will be helpful to me tomorrow (as I
pursue truth in my relationships and goals)?
You and I make innumerable choices every single day, for better or
for worse. We can decide to make the choices for truth that build
the strength of truth, moment by moment. Charles Townes, the
developer of the laser, shared this story when he was asked about
all he had accomplished with his invention:
A beaver and a chipmunk approached Hoover Dam while out for a
walk. They were simply amazed and awed by the dam’s size and
impact. Once the beaver caught his breath, he remarked, “well, I
didn’t build it myself, but it’s based on an idea of mine.”
Unlike the beaver, we can and do build on the idea for
pursuing “Pieces of Truthsm”.
Consistently choose “Pieces of Truthsm”
rather than “Pieces of Stupidsm”.
You are guaranteed the joy of greater truth in the relationships and
goals most important to you.
By: Susan B. Wilson, President, Executive Strategies
©
Executive Strategies
(269) 408-1525
www.execstrategies.com
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