And Then You Will Know

Yes. The time has come to talk about shoes first of all. If you ask me why? Here is the reason. Only when you wear your shoes, you come to know where it pinches and pinches the most. Let me tell you if you don't fix that it will be impossible for you to walk another step. And if you can't walk at all, what is the point of talking about anything else? So, the whole point is to take care of your shoes and they will take care of your journey. Any journey in life begins with small steps you take wearing your own shoes.

That is about being comfortable in your own shoes. But sometimes you need to try others' shoes as well. Sounds funny? Eh ? It should not actually. For unless you step into someone else's shoes once in a while, you become complacent and you start being judgemental about others. Others' behaviour, others' thought process and why others did what they did. 

So what? You might say. Well, it is important to understand others to lead a life well understood by others. To be fair to others so they can be fair to you. A life of understanding is that of happiness and peace of mind.

Reminds me of what Linda Goodman has said in the introduction to her book on zodiac signs. The study of the zodiac signs is to help people understand one another. Why people are, the way they are. What she meant was probably that every person has a different nature which is unique to him or her. Taking the point further, the other factor that goes into the making of a personality is the social environment that one lives in. We could also say that what happens in one's life and how he responds or reacts to it; makes people look who they are in our eyes.

What Elvis Presley sang about long ago is the same thing. Walk a mile in my shoes.......and so on. In a nutshell, he also said that if you try on my shoes or live my life for a day; you would stop judging me harshly. You would be more forgiving, more tolerant and more accepting of people who don't think like you or live like you.

How true! If only we could remember this all the time how easy we would be on others. Life would be more peaceful on this planet if we started appreciating others' philosophy of living while living our own lives as we wish. There would be less of a nuisance of our own making in this world.

Imagine. A husband would be more understanding of his wife. Colleagues would be more straightforward. The students would be more attentive to what their teachers taught. Religions would be more tolerant of one another. Countries would be more cooperative among themselves.

The experience of all great people through ages has crystallized into one thought. Being more understanding and less judgemental would help us live a more constructive life without coming in one another's way. The Bible also says - Do unto others what you would do to yourself.

It is all a matter of perception, my dear. So walk a mile in my shoes and then you will know...

‘This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.’