We’re Doing the Best We Can

I’m quick to judge and often criticize.

Maybe someone is late for a meeting, or the coffee is cold.

It’s so easy to find faults in others.

It’s a terrible habit that I’ve had for much of my life, and I’d love to break it.

I’ve found a small trick that is helping me.

I’m trying to remember that everyone is doing the best they can.

We might not think it is what we would do in the same situation. But we could never be in their exact same situation.

We are comparing what we see with what’s going on inside their head.

We can’t possibly know what they are thinking and how they perceive the situation.

To get a sense, try to switch the question around. Are you always doing the best you can?

There are two ways to look at it. Are you doing the absolute best you can on your best day? Probably not. Very rarely do we live up to our own potential and achieve all that we are capable of.

Now, the more relevant question is, given where I am right now…Am I doing the best I can?

The answer to that is probably, yes.

Maybe you are tired. Maybe you’re upset. Maybe you just don’t care as much as you want to.

You have your reasons. If you could do more, you probably would.

Sometimes the best you can do is take a nap, or check out and watch a few hours of Netflix.

Who’s to know…and who’s to judge.

Remember that the next time someone doesn’t live up to your expectations. They are likely doing the best they can from where they are.

We all need a break sometimes. Make sure you give others a break as well.