No Filters Here

I know that so many times we project onto others as things being "their fault", that we aren't __________! Fill in our blank Happiness is genuinely 90% our responsibility and 10% of what is going on around us and yet we all have a tendency at times to turn it around that we are responsible for maybe 10% and everything and everyone else is responsible for the other 90 to 90+% of why we are happy OR NOT! I am preaching to the choir believe me. Because I know that I know we are ALL guilty from time to time and some more than others! My children aren't doing "everything" I ask of them, my husband or wife isn't doing what I would like for them to do for "me". The people at work are so selfish and self centered spend their time doing everything but work and I am having to pick up "THEIR" slack. People are so messy in the stores, throwing things around and not putting them back, as we put the bread on the canned goods shelf because we don't want to walk back over 3 aisles. I don't take pride in saying that I have been one of those people, unduly complaining about something or someone rather than saying "How can I be a better me" rather than focusing on how everyone else can improve themselves. How they can be better to me, do more for me and stop __________whatever! I talk often about accountability, how I see so many children walking around in adult bodies and it's upsetting. We can find ourselves getting all engulfed in everything that is going on around us, be it in society, our jobs, even our personal lives, that we spend all our time looking outward and very little time looking upward or inward! You see, I have an all out ALERT here! NONE OF US....Including YOU and even ME (gasp gasp) are without the need for improvement. BUT we as humans will bring out those old trustworthy scales and put everyone and anyone else on them, weigh out their behavior, their so called faults and flaws, put them under a microscope and check off each and everything we find wrong, BUT....when it comes to ourselves....WE HAVE HUGE HUGE FILTERS!!! Maybe we all need to be more generous with using filters on others and removing them from ourselves! OUCH! How dare I right? LOL, I am not saying anything to you that I am not also saying to and about myself. I have said before and will say again, when I speak about Jesus, when I speak about how much He is needed I am talking about me FIRST and FOREMOST before anyone else. I KNOW how flawed I am, I KNOW I need to work on ME instead of mentally working on others. So let us all start with....OURSELVES FIRST.... This is one time we can put ourselves first and not think it being selfish. My mom always would tell the children when they were eating, if we keep our eyes on our own plate we won't have any idea what the others are doing and therefore no reason to be upset. For we all as adults, know, or least should know, we cannot change anyone else, it is not even our job to change someone else and more importantly in the time spent worrying and working on others....Time wasted from not working on you...on me, self-improvement. So put the loaf of bread back where it belongs, put your grocery cart back where it belongs. Offer patience, love, grace and forgiveness to others double the amount you want to receive and watch what happens. If someone is overly kind and generous what does it make you want to do? Hmmm If someone calls you by name and compliments you, how do you feel! We are sooooo much on feelings sometimes and soooo little on action. So may we all remove our own filters, take away our judgement scales (NOT OUR JOB) and offer up willingly and graciously to others the golden rule.