"Seriously! How could anyone even THINK that, much less actually do it! I mean, seriously, it's so OBVIOUS! I would never have messed up like that. I wish they would take this seriously!"
Do you ever find yourself thinking that sort of thing? I do sometimes. And I wish that I didn't.
In a job interview earlier this year, a potential employer asked me what my biggest weakness was. And, not that I'm egotistical or anything, I was flustered and couldn't think of a thing to say. So I mumbled and made something up that was sort of flaw-ish and kind of rambled for a while. I didn't get the job, and that was just fine - it wasn't just that part of the interview that didn't go so hot... but afterward I was talking to my mom about the question, and how it had thrown me. I was still having trouble thinking of a good answer for a professional setting. She paused for a minute, then said, "Well I can think of one." Confused, I asked her about it, and she said, "You tend to expect those around you to live up to the same standards you set for yourself. You seem to demand perfection."
I thought about this a while and, while I'd like to say she was wrong, she wasn't. I've realized, after paying attention to myself, that in a lot of situations I really do hold people to my same level of performance, whether in work competency, church standards, modesty, responsibility in the apartment, and a host of other things. I seem to think that everyone should be working toward the same goals as me, and get frustrated and annoyed when they don't perform to my expectations.
Isn't that sad? Seriously, everyone is different, and I say that all the time, and then I subconsciously want them to be the same as me. Admittedly, there are some situations in which holding people to a standard of excellence is important. But not in every scenario, and not without regard for their own personality, character, abilities, etc. I guess this is something for me to work on. This is NOT how I want to be, how I want to be treating people, how I want to be looking at or thinking about them. While I feel it's important to encourage others to be their best, I'm not perfect either. And expecting everyone else to live up to my strengths isn't right at all. I wouldn't want them to expect me to live up to them.
Reality check. People aren't perfect. But we're all working on it. And that's enough.
Before ^
Even the young men came and helped. And supposedly they're all coming again in a couple weeks to try to get some more done - this particular building was one of four other structures that have to come down. Yay for annhilating the yard as it currently exists! :D
