She was walking her daschund. He was beautiful; a short-haired standard doxie with a shiny auburn coat and big brown eyes. He was very excited for me to pet him and wanted to jump up. I quickly knelt down to his level, but not before his annoyed dog mother yanked his leash and scolded him. She told me he just doesn't listen. I asked his age, and I when I heard how young he is, I assured her he was just a toddler and his manners would improve as he got older. She looked skeptical. I asked his name. "Monster." Well. What did she expect, naming him that?
It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Dogs, kids and even we as adults tend to live up to (or down to) expectations. Expect the worst, label them, call them names, point out everything they do wrong while ignoring all the good, and you can turn someone perfectly wonderful into a monster.
As I think about my own life, I need to take complete responsibility for the energy and expectations I bring to my interactions with others. Do my attitudes and behavior call out the best in the people I meet?
Susan
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment