I started reading this book of 10 powerful phrases of positive people by  Rich de Vos.

Why do I use this to indicate success, because a big part of success to me is to maintain a positive attitude towards life and to offer encouragement to others.

The first phrase that he indicates to helping to maintain a positive attitude and offering encouragement to others….. is to admit when you are wrong.

Ouch! I think this is the most difficult one and that’s why it is the first phrase he refers to it, but if you are able to do this and even admit when you are wrong to people you want to have respect for you or even your children.  I think it is one of the best qualities to have towards working to being successful.

This made me think about this short story I read:

A young couple moved into a new neighborhood.

The next morning while they were eating breakfast, the young woman noticed her neighbor outside hanging her laundry.  “That laundry is not very clean” , she said.  “Doesn’t she know how to wash her laundry correctly?”  Her husband just looked on and remained silent.

Every time her neighbor hung her washing out to dry, the young woman made the same comment. A month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean batch of laundry washed and hanging on the washing line and said to her husband :  “Look she finally figured out how to do her washing.”

Her husband replied, “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.”

And so is it with life…

What we see or think when watching others, hearing something or commenting on a matter depends on the clarity of the window through which we look.  Don’t be too quick to judge others, especially if your perspective of life is clouded by your own perceptions and thinking that others are always wrong in the way or manner they do things. 

Remember judging a person does not define who they are.  It defines who you are.

P Coelho.

We sometimes or most of the time find it difficult to admit we are wrong or that we should have done something in a different manner.  Never underestimate the value of admitting when you are wrong, saying it out loud to a person and then like this story remember it in future so that it does not cloud your perception too quickly again, learn from it and move on in a positive manner.