The Other Direction

About three weeks ago I decided to start running again. Warm weather has a way of doing that. I just want to get outdoors, breathe fresh air and pound the pavement. I'm usually a walker but thought I'd try running again to speed up my metabolism and get more out of a 30 minute workout. So I run.

Every day I run a different route to keep from being bored. One day I ran in the other direction of a typical route and guess what? Everything looked different. It really did. I found myself paying attention more and seeing things I had not seen before. And what's particularly nice about spring is that each day brings forth something new. Suddenly a bare tree is laden with fresh green leaves and pink flowers and you can see the happiness of creatures enjoying its abundance.

So next time when you're faced with something or someone that's challenging, consider going in the other direction, i.e. engage in active listening, ask sincere questions and carry a humble attitude as you get to know this person or address the situation. You may be surprised at what you may discover when you do.

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