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FSY Training: Day One

One day can change everything. And it’s only day one.

It’s crazy to me how one day can change a person. I suppose I am still myself but I feel more edified, more grateful, more understanding, more confident, more prepared, more brave, and more happy.

I just feel more.

More myself.

More in tune.

More willing.

More excited.

More loving.

I look back to the past … to previous choices I’ve made, previous feelings I’ve had, previous ways I’ve handled situations, previous ways I’ve hurt feelings, previous ways I have coped, previous ways I have viewed life.

And in a strange way, I feel grateful. Not for the mistakes I’ve made, but for the opportunity to learn today what I can do better.

I remember teaching a young women lesson and one of the girls was being disrespectful and laughing while I was trying to attract the spirit. I snapped at her, and she shut down, not making a peep for the rest of the lesson.

Later, I talked to this girl and was convinced I was in the right. If only she listened. If only she respected me. If only she cared that I had put time into this lesson.

I thought of this experience today when we were learning about how to become better teachers.

One of the most important lessons he tried to instill into our minds is that oftentimes we treat people like idiots when it would be better to treat them as injured.

Not inferior. But in need of love. In need of care. In need of help.

So instead of saying, “what’s wrong with you?” or “why are you ruining this lesson?” or in my case with that young woman, “you knew how hard I worked to prepare this lesson yet you are being disrespectful and rude. Seriously?” (Something to that effect).

You say, “are you okay?” or “what can I do to help?”

Oftentimes (if not always), people are not idiots. They are injured. They need help.

So today during his lesson, I thought back on this experience and felt a wave of sadness and regret for the way I handled this situation. The way I did not treat her with love and kindness and respect. The way I did not notice that she was injured, struggling with her testimony, with her self-worth, with her motivation, with her happiness.

She was not an idiot. She was injured and needed help.

After feeling sadness and regret for the past, gratitude filled my heart. Now I know. Now I can look at that situation and view it with a different lens.

Have more love for her. And more understanding.

And hopefully, next time, I will be kind. I will be thoughtful. I will be patient. I will be loving.

Hopefully, I will be more.