on the outside cover...

I am sure we have all heard the saying..."don't judge a book by its cover", and I am here to tell you...this is an absolutely true statement that we all need to live by! A couple of weeks ago a dear friend of mine was having a couple of bad days. She was remembering her dad, who had passed away a few years ago. With that being said, it is obvious that she was a little sad and depressed, not to mention, that the Thanksgiving holiday was upon us. While my friend went about her day with a smile on her face, she was truly sad and suffering inside. I know this to be true because she even went to the extent of talking to me about it, when she is typically a very strong person who does not let her sadness show. A couple of her co-workers were really giving her a rough time, thinking all along that they were playfully teasing her, when in reality, she was taking the unkind gestures to heart. Although the two pranksters were not aware of her sadness, they really did not know when to lighten up on her. While my friend carried a smile on her face the entire day, she left work feeling beat up, and more sad than ever before. Because I deeply care about my friend, I was really disturbed by these happenings. Yes, my friend has a very happy go lucky attitude, and typically the life of any party, but that is not to say that she doesn't have feelings of her own. Like any other person, my friend feels pain, cries, gets sad, and depressed. On the flip side her highs or joys of life are very large, and perhaps this is why people who surround her, often take her for always being happy, and never suffering inside. This is just one example of how we are all real, and we all feel a realm of different emotions in life. While we may walk with a smile on our faces, we may actually be suffering inside. While at work, or out to play, we may have a "game" face on, but when at home, or by ourselves we may actually be very sad or depressed. This goes back to each of us having a story, a personal story. We never really know what pain or suffering one may be going through, so the bottom line...."Never judge a book by its cover"!

Today's activity: never judge

Today I encourage you to be kind to everyone, and avoid being judgmental. If someone appears to be sad, or full of joy, this may just be a cover for what really may be going on inside of them, in their personal life. Someone may appear to be very poor, but may be a millionaire, or someone who may seem very pulled together, may be filled with turmoil. Our job in life is to go about, minding our own business, and to not be judgmental to or about others. We all have a story, and we are all human beings. At the end of the day, I have the same inner workings as my neighbors, my friends, and my enemies. I truly believe it is how we go about using our inner gifts that makes the real difference in life. After all, a book that may be seemingly unattractive on the outside, may be the VERY BEST read you have ever stumbled across!