♫♪ Always Look on the Bright Side of Life ♫♪
Do you tend to see the best in others? Or are you more of a skeptic?
Whether you’re a serial optimist or pessimist, there is nobody else exactly like you – and that’s awesome!
Having a unique lens means you’ll come across others whose perspective on life is quite different than your own. Sometimes our differences create minor annoyances – other times they lead to major disagreements. Our differences can also open our hearts and expand our horizons. It all comes down to choice.
At the end of the day, everyone has darkness and light. Nobody is perfect, and yet we were all designed to perfection. When we realize everyone has a mix of characteristics that could be viewed as good or bad, it becomes easier to lighten up on others around us.
When we choose to see others in their best light, we receive the benefit from witnessing and experiencing them in an uplifting way. It feels good to see the good in others.
Here are three strategies I draw on to see the best in other people and situations around me. If they resonate, give them a try. Perhaps they will help you see the best in others and the bright side of your amazing life.
1. Focus on the Three Things
Our thoughts and beliefs are powerful. We use them to shape our perspective and world view. When we are critical and judgmental of others, those thoughts and judgments become a part of our experience and journey.
When we believe other people are bad, wrong, evil etc., we can easily continue to collect evidence to back up our theory. Without changing our perspective, we continue experiencing others in their darkness. But as the saying goes: Don’t always believe what you think.
We can harness the power of our focus and thoughts to see the good in others – to notice the shared humanity around us. One way to see the best in others is to actually look for it. Sounds simple enough, and that’s because it is.
See how your view transforms when you choose to look for three reasons why someone you’re criticizing is actually not so bad. Don’t just find one reason, amplify your experience by finding three reasons.
See how your experience changes when you decide to see this same person in their best light. It’s especially powerful to think of their three redeeming qualities before you connect with them, or during a challenging conversation.
2. Look for Commonalities
This comes back to the idea we are all unique and we all have the power of perspective. We can easily use our power to see our differences, or to see how we are the same.
We are all human – that much is certain. If you’re struggling to find common ground with someone you’re having challenges with, remember your shared humanity. This can be a fantastic starting place.
Finding common ground, doesn’t mean you have to agree with others or like everything about them. You simply get to see there are others who experience life in a different light than you, and that’s okay. It doesn’t make them bad or worse than anyone else. It makes them human just like you.
When we choose to see one another through our shared humanity, we will help create a world with more understanding, compassion and peace.
3. A Little Humour Goes a Long Way
There is a reason why witnessing a smile or hearing the sound of laughter is universally understood. It’s the language of happiness and the underlying spirit of humanity – joy.
If you want to witness the truth and light in someone else, catch them when they are smiling or laughing – and hold onto that.
The world needs more lightness and humour to counterbalance all that is heavy and dark. Humour is contagious. The more you share your humour with others, the more likely you’ll witness them in their best light. So go ahead, tell a funny joke, share your smile and spread your laughter as much as possible.
If in doubt, follow Monty Python’s Bright Side of Life lyrics:
“If life seems jolly rotten,
there’s something you’ve forgotten,
and that’s to laugh and smile and dance and sing.”
When we feel good, it’s so much easier to see the best in others.
How might you choose to see the best in others around you today? How might you look on the bright side of your life?
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Originally published at emilymadill.com