A Humbling Matter Of Perspective

My father often says to me, "should is a dirty word".

There are things I know I should be doing, and yet, I don't always do them.

It makes me wonder: if I’m so flawed, how can I be justified in telling someone else how to live their life?

Is anyone actually qualified to give advice?

My Opinion Doesn’t Matter

I spent years trying to encourage people to think like I do, convinced that I had the solutions to their problems.

Over time, thankfully, something has changed. I've learned that what I think is right or wrong rarely applies to anyone else’s life.

I’ve come to appreciate the fact that everyone has their own viewpoint. The way a person or society operates may seem illogical to an outsider, but there is always a reason why things are done a certain way.

The moral of the story is that, while no one has the right to judge what works best for someone else, I firmly believe that we have the obligation to question what works best for others as a route towards mutual progress.

If instead of telling you what you should be doing, I ask you why you do things the way you do, we both get to compare our current methods with other ways which might work equally well, or better.

Instead of defensiveness, our inquiries can be met with open and innocent dialogue, leading to healthy introspection and evaluation of our current methods.

Why I Write

When I first started down this career path, I sought to push my philosophies onto others, motivated by the desire to make the world a better place because I thought I had the answers to some tough questions.

I still seek to make the world a better place, but I’ve altered my method.

The aim of a writer is to document their surroundings. Perspective can’t be masked or avoided; everyone has a worldview that affects the choices they make and the messages they portray.

I used to try to convince people that I was right, and that they should be living their lives the way I live mine.

Now however, my aim is to share my perspective as vividly and honestly as possible, so that others can compare and contrast.

It really doesn’t matter if I’m right or wrong, as long as my readers (including myself) get closer to their own answers in the process.