I have learned silence from the talkative; tolerance from the intolerant and kindness from the unkind. I should not be ungrateful to those teachers. —Kahlil Gibran—
Every situation we experience, every individual we encounter offer us valuable insight about living life more fully. We learn that we appreciate in people by confronting what disturbs us. We are certain to learn more about ourselves when we acknowledge that which displeases us in the experiences that enjoy our attention. It’s all to easy to label “of no value” experiences that, on the surface, bore us. We also discount persons whose life experiences are different than our own. It takes a decision followed by concentrated effort to recognize the value of every moment. Each one is serving us a lesson that deserves our full attention, and it’s frequently true that the lessons most helpful are the ones least appreciated or understood in the present.I can be certain that whatever situations disturb me today are also guaranteed to offer me unexpected growth.