Yourself With Others!
By Dr. Synesio Lyra, Jr.
It’s not good to approach anyone with your pre-conceived ideas about that person. Even if you may dislike certain features of that individual’s life, attempt to spend some time with him or her until you can know for certain whether you want no relationship, or whether you are prepared to view such one in a new and better light. You shall reach that conclusion when you have looked objectively into all you can find out about, and experience with, that individual.
In society, people can be far better than you imagine them to be, although there’s always the possibility of some being far worse than you are prepared to believe. Thus, it’s only by spending enough time with a person in a variety of situations that can furnish you a more solid foundation for reaching a realistic evaluation.
In order to reach a reasonable conclusion, always attempt to look at, and understand the person’s heart instead of depending only on the externalities presented by that life. It is imperative that you don’t ascribe finality to whatever you imagine to be the case – any case – until you experience that to be a reality!
To avoid confusion among the people you would interact with, seek to show yourself always the same to whomever you meet. Circumstances will vary, personal attire will be according to the occasion, and many other factors will never be exactly the same in each of the situations you encounter!
Yet, your integrity, your attitudes, your commitments, must remain constant regardless of where you are, and with whom you find yourself at any time! You need cultivate your ways with people, and towards people, just as one needs to learn the best routes to reach a desired destination.
“Knowing ourselves is basic to delivering a clear message to others,” some expert declared. And this applies not only to addressing a large number of people, but also to approaching a single person. Each encounter entails a gift of one’s self which can be accepted or declined!
Our relationships with other people are a two-way exchange: some will approach you first, but most often the initiative must be yours, seeking people out, do something for someone else, and the rewards will be as much yours as theirs. If you develop your life as an encouragement center, many will gravitate to you, benefit from your hospitality, and ultimately gain much more than you may have anticipated!
