What is your first instinct about the people you encounter?

Do you see them as friends or as foes?

Do you assume they want the best for you, or do you brace yourself for them to take advantage of you?

Do you believe they genuinely care, or do you quietly wonder if your presence is just an inconvenience to them?

Often, the story we tell ourselves isn’t rooted in the person standing in front of us at all. Instead, it is shaped by what we’ve experienced. Sometimes we judge someone based on a past wound, betrayal, or disappointment. Without realizing it, we project yesterday’s pain onto other people.

How would your life, and mine, be different if we approached others looking for the best and not the worst?

Perhaps there is a whole group of people with whom you might find connection, mutual encouragement, and even friendship. When you tell yourself a different story, it not only changes how you see others but also how you experience life.