Delegate freely...and check on it
every chance you get.
-- Linda Johnson Rice
When we ask
that something be done, do we let go and let the job
get done, or do we worry it won't be done on time or
how we want it?
Part of
learning to trust others is to learn when to let go
and let other people handle something in their own
way.
We can look
back on today and remember requests we made. Perhaps
we asked an employee for assistance, a child to do a
project, or our partner to do
something important.
After we made
the request, did we then let go or were we filled
with worry and doubt about whether our request would
be honored?
Tonight
we can let go of our requests and trust all will be
taken care of. If it is not, that doesn't mean we
can never trust anyone again.
It may mean
our request was unreasonable or other circumstances
intervened. It's okay if we make a request and don't
get results that meet our expectations.
Trust doesn't
mean we will get what we want when we want it and
how we want it. Trust means having enough faith to
ask another -- and to let it go.
Some
minds remain open long enough for truth not
only to enter but to pass on through by way of a
ready exit without pausing anywhere along the
route.
-- Sister
Elizabeth Kenny
Many times
what someone says hurts us. If someone is pointing out
a character defect or being critical of our work, we
may find it difficult to listen.
But before we
react, we need to ask whether the person is being
destructive or constructive in his or her speech.
We can ignore
destructive words by detaching, but we need to
listen to constructive words.
There is
a reason to hear such words, even though they may
hurt or make us feel defensive.
To become a
total listener rather than a selective listener, we
can let people finish what they need to say.
Silence and an
open mind can help us hear all their words.
By truly
listening and then responding maturely, we will
grasp the message and perhaps see the love and
caring with which it is delivered.
The
glory of friendship is not the outstretched
hand,
nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of
companionship;
it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to
one when
(one) discovers that someone else believes in
[one)....
-- Ralph
Waldo Emerson
Many times we may not
totally believe in ourselves. After a bad day or a
painful rejection, it may be hard for us to look at
ourselves and say, But I believe in you."
Yet there are people who
can tell us that.
In our lives we need
to have at least one special friend who has a belief
in us even when we don't.
Sometimes just to hear a
friend say, It's going to be all right. I believe in
you, is enough to help us get back on track with our
self-esteem.
A friend can be many
things: a confidante, a buddy, a good-time pal.
In all of these roles, a
friend confirms one solid fact: a belief in our
goodness as a person.
The measure of any
person is not by the number of friends, but by the
belief any one friend has in that person.
