Applying the Benefit of the Doubt in Order to Live a Happier Life

Walk outside on a clear night and look up at the sky. There are thousands of stars piercing through a blanket of darkness. Due to human nature, we are full of assumptions. One of them being that the stars we see are actually there. But the thing is, in actuality, the night sky is a peak into the past. The light produced by stars takes years to travel to the Earth. Because of this, many of the stars we see are actually dead. Sometimes, learning the truth about something, or thinking different, is all it takes for a new perspective to be born.Being capable of allowing yourself to see different perspectives is such an imperative skill in order to live a happier life. Giving others the benefit of the doubt may be one of the most important things to do in any given situation.

Of course we desperately want to think that we are right and that we fully understand the situation but a lot of the time that simply isn’t true. We have to train our minds to be stronger than our emotions. Obviously the majority of the time our heart rules over our mind but even finding a balance between the two is a leap in the right direction. Subjectively one of the most powerful statements is “What if?’ It tears down barriers and opens up so many doors. For example, if you saw someone you knew in public and waved at them and they didn’t return the gesture, instead of thinking about all of the negative reasons why, try giving them the benefit of the doubt. What if they didn’t see you?What if they were distracted?Learning this skill and implementing it in real situations is important in living a more carefree, secure, optimistic life.It’s no surprise that we get caught up in the momentum of life; never taking a moment to step back and remind ourselves that life is the greatest gift of all. We waste too much of our precious time thinking about the little things that won’t matter in five months. The fact that we even exist is should blow our minds on the daily.

Admittedly, it can take a while to develop the right mindset in order to begin to comprehend existence. However, having an open mind and allowing ourselves to contemplate things that we don’t necessarily understand, is a solid start. Remember, find something that moves you every single day to remind yourself of how lucky we all are. “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present. ” That’s all it takes. This is life, and sometimes fate intervenes and makes us feel like we are absolutely powerless but we have to remember: in the words of Charlotte Whitton, “Look towards the sun and let the shadows fall behind you…” Somehow, in the end, everything will be okay.