Saturday, March 28, 2015

"I Told You So"

Have you ever just wanted to say to someone, I told you so? Sure you have. We all have. It's almost as though our brain is on speed dial connecting us with the 'I-need-to-prove-that-I-am-right' button. I know, because I came within a micro-second of
almost saying it once again a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully, I caught myself beforehand and decided it was high time to take a different route.



It all started when a friend of mine had to buy a little black dress for a wedding she was going to be in. She found the 'perfect' dress online, but when I asked her if she ordered it or not, she answered with a sigh, "No, not yet. I will get it this weekend."

"You might want to consider getting it today," I told her, "Just to make certain there is still one available." 

I am sure you know where this story is heading. Needless to say, she didn't order it in a timely manner and the dress was no longer available. With only three weeks left until the big day, the hunt for a little black dress had to begin once again.

After she texted me, I immediately typed in the words, "I told you so," but before I sent it off, I actually took a moment to look at what I had written. Those four little words had a great big impact on my heart and I didn't like what they were doing to me. So, like any good friend should do, I erased them. If I had actually sent the original text off to her it would have made her feel even more lousy than she was already feeling. I don't want my enemies to feel badly, let alone my friends.

So, I tapped into the Loving-Kindness section of my brain. I told her that this was her subconscious at work. That dress would have not been right for her and somewhere deep inside she knew this truth. Since she didn't order it, she wouldn't have to worry about the hassle of a mail order return. The Universe was simply saving her a trip to the post office. Hooray, no wasted trips! Plus, that means the perfect dress is on its way.

...and indeed it was. The real perfect dress showed up a few days ago and is now hanging nicely in her closet.

The moral of the story is that we can either choose to make someone feel miserable by saying I told you so or we can instead take the compassionate route. When trying to decide, just imagine yourself in your friend's shoes and see what would make you feel the best. Then, practice that!

Sending Compassionate Loving-Kindness your way,

Lisa

Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)

***This blog entry comes from my monthly e-Newsletter. If you would like to receive an inspirational story in your inbox every month, please sign up at www.LisaTunney.com.



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