Hand in Hand with Hypocrisy

"Be the change you wish to see in the world..." Gandhi said this and as I perused through a bookstore in downtown Annapolis last night with a great friend of mine, this quote slapped me across the face and said, "remember me!" Be the change you wish to see in the world...

I am thinking of it on a real simple level, and obviously when I begin any kind of thought process, my children are always at the forefront. Their image is suctioned to my forehead, protruding outward on a flat screen before my eyes so that every move I make is noticed by them. So, in my little world, I wish to teach my children. I realize that if I want Tony to stop calling me poopy head, and stupid, I should probably temper my habit of swearing under my breath. If I want the children to pick up their toys after play time is over, I should really straighten the mounds of paper, folders and envelopes scattered on top and around my desk. Instead of preaching to them as a hypocrite for these things (and believe me, there are plenty more!), I should change my ways first.

The same concept applies at work. I am fortunate in that I get to work from home on most days. I am safe behind the computer, sending only words to my coworkers via email. It would be rather easy to demand my requirements, and sign off. Yet, I enjoy being thanked, I enjoy a little humor and a personal touch, even if I cannot envision the face behind the words. Be the change you wish to see in the world... it's easy. I sign off my emails with a thank-you; when I screw up (which is very rare), I fess up, and usually it is with a sense of humor. That's how I would want people to be toward me. It's real easy to get bogged down in the details and drama of work - to constantly feel overwhelmed. But, think about it, it's work. It is work that has been there before you, and will be there tomorrow. At five o'clock, I clear my mind (if not my desk) and I focus on my family.

What about with strangers? You don't want to be treated rudely, so smile.

On a universal level, I have plans. Big plans. I can't do it alone though. But I can change myself, I can pull people in and maybe, just maybe, I won't be a hypocrite when I say, "they should do this... they should do that..." I am going to try and let go of hypocrisy's hand, and walk alone in this great big world. Anyone care to join me?