Twice before (here and here), I’ve written a progress report, during these Years of Living Non-judgmentally.
I just re-read those two previous progress posts and — you know what? — they were pretty darn good.
Aha! One area of progress has appeared in today’s blog post, already:
Compliments.
While I still use the word “bragging” when I compliment myself, I’m feeling easier about accepting positive statements from others and making them about myself.
It’s still a priority for me to send out as many authentic, complimentary messages as possible. I am also making progress balancing my enjoyment of giving out compliments with sensitivity to other people’s comfort with them.
Yesterday morning, I met somebody new: the mother of a friend of my son, Aaron. When I saw this, in her kitchen
… I complimented her on it.
Also, I bragged to her about my blog.
She and the rest of her family are moving to Michigan. They won’t have a permanent place to live, before they move, so they’re only taking essentials with them, to begin their new life there. She’s been telling her family to “think of it as an indoor camping trip.” I complimented her on that, too.
Observing and interpreting messages from people, etc.
I also see progress in paying attention to all kinds of communication, from people I encounter, and elsewhere.
By being open to more types of communication, I observe others doing the same:
Another area of progress: If I cannot make sense of the communication, I am doing better at letting that go, and moving on.
Trust.
This continues to be a challenging area for me (and others I observe). How much to trust, and whom?
Sometimes, I trust too much. For example, I often look at my shoulder bag and notice it’s open:
Why? Perhaps I’m focusing, too much, on other things.
Yesterday, I trusted somebody new:
That’s Niso, at Brookline Foreign Motors. Niso is also a DJ; “It’s in my blood,” he said. We had an interesting conversation about people being “too dependent upon technology” relating to music AND cars. We talked about the new safety features on new cars that automatically alert drivers about obstacles in their way. The other day, when Niso was leaving his driveway, he almost hit somebody, when an alarm didn’t go off. We agreed it’s better to pay attention, some times, the old-fashioned way.
Being like-minded that way, with Niso, helped increase my trust. These items, observed close by, also helped:
I liked what I observed yesterday, at Brookline Foreign Motors.
Being open to beauty, all around.
I’m doing pretty well at that, lately, but I have to confess: this is much easier for me, during the warmer weather. But I still need to give myself — and beautiful Boston, USA — credit for progress:
Celebrating other people’s progress.
From my whiteboard at work:
Progress reports can really help, don’t you think?
Thanks to Jack’s mother, to Niso, to Brookline and Boston, to Frederick Law Olmsted (for the Emerald Necklace), to people who do their best with new situations, to creatures who respectfully share space with others, to all those who give themselves credit for any amount of progress, and to you — of course! — for progressing here, today.
