I was recently asked how I come up with an article each week for the LPJ. Well, I don’t sit in front of a computer screen writing different drafts until I find one that is suitable. I don’t consider myself a writer, so I do something very unconventional.
I start my days walking and praying early in the morning before the sun comes up. Toward the end of that time, I just think about other people that I might have encountered over the last few days. I’ll do my workout and then head home.
It’s on that walk or run home that I narrow the focus on one person or one group. I think about what they are going through and what I would share with them if I were to have an opportunity to speak to them. I then type those thoughts, add some punctuation, and create an article.
That’s pretty unconventional, but now you know my secret. Every article has a target audience, whether they read the LPJ or not!
This morning was a little unique. As I approached my outdoor workout facility (outdoor gym across from the campus on California Ave), I noticed a young man lying on the ground. He has been there off and on for the last few weeks. Most mornings he is asleep wrapped up in old blankets.
If he is asleep, I will work out around him, and the morning goes as planned. However, this morning, he was visibly upset and irritated with someone on the other end of his phone. I waited a minute to see if he would calm down. I would have loved to help him and to get my workout in, but the longer I was there the more hostile he became.
I chose to leave, not knowing his story. All I know, is this young man is sleeping outside and can get very angry – very angry!
It’s just a reminder that we don’t know everyone’s story or what they may be going through on a given day.
We encounter coworkers that come across short-tempered and angry, and we want nothing to do with them. We have neighbors that don’t seem to have the same standards as us, and we rush to judgement. We have family members that don’t meet expectations, and we get angry. But, in each of these cases, we may not know what’s really going on in their lives.
We don’t know their past (what they have been through), the current pain (what they are going through), or the uncertainty they are living with today (what they are fearful of in the future). If we knew more and understood more clearly, we might see them in a different light and respond in a different manner.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that you be not judged”. Reading further in that chapter, we find that the overall message is to live a life of humility realizing that we all have faults, struggles, and shortcomings.
Maybe we could all slow down and extend a little more grace to others. I’m not justifying all actions by any means. No way! There are some things that are clearly wrong regardless, but there are quite a few opportunities for us to seek understanding, provide empathy, and extend grace.
It’s simply a matter of seeing the value in others even if it’s 5:30 am, and I can’t get to my pullup bar!
Doug equips leaders to make organizations better. He has two leadership books available on all online platforms. Whether you are looking for a speaker for your next event or a leadership coach to develop people and build an authentic team, contact Doug at doug.strickel@gmail.com and learn more about PLUS.
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