Thought Picnic: Hold back reflex as you reflect for love

Moments to reflect

A teaching moment, a humbling moment, an understanding moment and a compassionate moment.

That is what I have desired that we take away from certain experiences of life when we look at the cards we have been dealt that do not look like we would walk off with the pot.

More often than not, we do not win the jackpot much as we participate in the lottery, we hope we have picked the right numbers but the picking of the winning numbers is completely out of our control.

It is then left to luck, good fortune, favour, blessing, chance or any convenient description of how opportunity and timing coincide to create advantage and gain.

The reflex to moments

The moments described above require patience and reflection, reflection desires that whatever we have determined to say or do be delayed to have a broader perspective especially when that perspective does not agree with us.

Yet you find many who have charted a different course, they find their greatest expression in a rude moment, an abusive moment, a dishonest moment, a disingenuous moment, an expletive-laden moment, a belittling moment, an unreasonable moment, an uncharitable moment and a hateful moment.

Their capacity to demonstrate this with a knack of genius and experience would make them icons of intemperance and much as you might be tempted to respond in like manner or take the high moral ground, the best thing to do is to ignore them.

Rethink the act

For a person who seeks to learn can be taught and in being taught is humbled into realising that a wider and diverse world of life, perspective, opinions, experiences and knowledge exists beyond them.

This brings understanding to reason and being reasonable, in which one can then find the bowels of compassion to engage with others; that is the essence of our humanity.

That is why I love about those who take the moments to reflect over those who seize the moment for reflex.