Happy Friday, Friends!
I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! 😊
This week's Happy Friday is going to be a reminder, a challenge, and a strong dose of encouragement! 😊
Everyone has a story…everyone! You have a story, I have a story, and every person walking the face of this earth has a story! Redundant? Yes, however please just sit and think about that for a moment. Every person we will ever encounter has a story. For most there are good and bad parts, all making each of us who we are today. There are experiences, positive and negative, all making each of us who we are today. There are gifts, abilities, and strengths, and there are faults, failures, and weaknesses, all making each of us who we are today. Everyone has a story…and every story matters! 😊
Challenge: Learn the story.
Before I continue with this challenge, I want to introduce you to a couple of concepts. The first one is the Fundamental Attribution Error. I have been listening to a lot of Patrick Lencioni podcasts lately and this is where I was first introduced to this concept. Here is how Patrick Healy defined Fundamental Attribution Error in an article for Harvard Business School on June 8, 2017 – you can find the full article at online.hbs.edu.
“The fundamental attribution error refers to the individual’s tendency to attribute another’s actions to their character and personality, while attributing their behavior to external situational factors outside of their control. In other words, you tend to cut yourself a break while holding others 100 percent accountable for their actions.”
Sound familiar? Ever been there? Unfortunately, me too! 😊
In a recent podcast, almost as an antidote to the fundamental attribution error, Patrick and his teamed encouraged teams to “assume positive intent.” How different would our worlds be if we assumed positive intent when errors are made as opposed to assuming it is a character or personality flaw?
So back to the challenge…instead of judging, let's make it a point to try to really get to know people. Instead of watching an action and forming an opinion of who someone is, what they stand for, etc., let’s do the hard work of getting to know them, learning their story, and learn why they do what they do. Instead of listening to someone in a heated exchange and, again, forming an opinion of who they are or what they believe, take the time to find out who they are and why they are so passionate.
AND, why don’t we become more proactive? Everything doesn’t have to be about anger, offended, etc. There are so many amazing people in this world…most, including YOU, are! What happens if you go meet, sit, and visit with a neighbor? Simply for the sake of getting to know someone, to learn about their life, with the full intent of learning what we can from them. The same with people at school or church, work or the gym. I am blessed…my job is literally to get to know people and develop a relationship with them. I have heard stories that have inspired me, stories that have made me cry and lessons, so many lessons. If only we would make it a priority to really get to know people. Not to impress them or to get something from them. Simply to appreciate them, for the journey they have walked…to genuinely value and appreciate them simply because they are who they are.
Please Friends, learn the stories. I promise you, it will bless you more than you could ever imagine.
Encouragement: Walk your path and be proud of your story.
Please pursue all that you were created to be. Awaken the dreams that are in your heart and pursue them. View obstacles in your path as steppingstones, raising you higher, so you can find your true strength, your purpose, and you can become all you are capable of becoming. I am thinking about Matthew 5:16, “let your light shine.” We are fearfully and wonderfully made, created on purpose for a purpose…what if we lived like it? 😊
“But Kev, you don’t know me. You don’t know what has happened to me. You don’t know what I have done.” True, I don’t. However, I do know that everything that has happened to you, everything you have done and that has been done to you is simply a part of the story. We ALL have faults, failures, struggles, challenges, etc. You won’t find one person that doesn’t. The key to the story you have to tell today is how you have CHOSEN to respond after. Everybody gets knocked down but not everyone gets back up. In my experience it is those who have been through the greatest hell that have the greatest stories. It was after that moment – and it was only a moment if we will allow it to be – that they found wisdom, they found strength, and they found courage. And what was born from this journey? A story.
And one more thing you really need to know; your story will inspire others as they walk their paths. Trust me Friends, you are not alone. We are all at different stages of development – spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. The dream you pursued, the obstacle you have overcome, and the life you live can and will inspire others if you will share it.
Everyone has a story. The next time you see someone struggling or in a difficult situation, instead of looking at them with a critical eye or judgmental spirit, simply ask yourself the question, “What is their story?” When you remind yourself that they, like you, are the sum total of the people in their lives, the things they have experienced and lived through, etc., you will look at them with a much more compassionate spirit. It is true that hurting people hurt people and it is equally true that healed people heal people. We can learn a lot from one another if we will only care enough to listen, get to know one another, and listen to each other’s stories.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious families, and please stay well! 😊
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