A Little More Like Horton, A Whole Lot More Like Me

The world is filled with people who measure life against a ruler defined be everything their life is NOT rather than everything it is. The thing about taking the “negative definition” approach is that the list of what is not can and will grow into infinity. There is always something new against which to compare. So, in essence, with every new idea, with every act of creation, with every spontaneous evolution of our Universe, there is a new opportunity for negative definition.

The world is filled with people who look at other people this way, too. Today, I fell victim to frustration and allowed myself to judge another, to complain about what they were NOT according to my narrow, self-centered, self-serving definition of what they should be. I am ashamed of my pettiness. I am humbled by the lesson. I am grateful for the opportunity to grow.

This negative approach to living in this Universe is mot fulfilling in the least. It drained me of energy. It did not give life to others. I stained the energy of others today because they listened to my complaints. Some commiserated, and that is even more unfortunate. I don’t assume responsibility for their actions, but I do acknowledge my part in perpetuating, not seeking to lessen, the darkness in their hearts.

Today is Dr. Seuss’ birthday. He wrote a few stories about an elephant named Horton. In one of those stories, Horton proudly declared that “an elephant’s faithful, 100%.” Where I failed, Horton succeeded. True, he’s a character in a children’s book, but…man, I could have paid a little better attention to that lesson. Which reminds me of another Dr. Seuss quote that I read today:

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You. “

Today, I should have been a little more like Horton, a whole lot more like me.