I have noticed lately that people I used to find irritating or upsetting, don’t do that anymore. When did they change? Or is it I who have changed? Maybe it’s because I recognize that the characteristic I find irksome in them is the very thing I hate and try to hide in myself. It is humbling to admit that: humbling and necessary for growth. When I am tempted to notice a flaw and allow myself to become self-righteous, I remind myself that I am, at the core, the same. And if I act in a way contrary to the perceived hurtful or sinful behavior, I set the other person free. In the process, I am also freed, and love, rather than judgment and criticism directs our exchange. It almost sounds too simple, but by thinking the best, rather than the worst, about others, reality can be changed.