It is much easier to change ourselves than it is to change others.  When I am not pleased with what is going on around me, I look inward to what I am contributing and pray for direction and understanding.  

It is rare for someone to change at the suggestion of others.  It is much more likely to create change from within.  What that means is I have to be willing to create an environment around me that is something a particular person or others would like to be around.

In most situations, kindness, love, and compassion create change in people receiving positive interaction.  Combine that with prayer, and all things are possible. 

How do I start?   

One of the things that is a signal that I need to change my behavior is thinking judgmental thoughts.  When those surface, I quickly apply them to my life.  Am I doing this too?  

Often the answer is yes.  It is a bit scary, but I find there are times when I have been guilty of something similar.  I quickly ask for forgiveness and change my perspective to one of love.

When I see change is needed but have difficulty seeing how I can positively contribute to the situation, I pray for direction.  I ask to be shown solutions and be guided to opportunities to positively contribute to the situation.

The solutions usually center around love.  It is so simple, yet fairly difficult to execute.  The answer means that I have to ignore what someone else is doing and concentrate on making compassionate decisions and acting with kindness.

Simple, yes, but not easy when we come from the perspective of someone doing something wrong.  It triggers anger and nasty actions.  With a simple mind shift to love, the anger and negative actions disappear.

In time, it is contagious.  When someone is angry and you respond with love, they begin to realize their anger is not effective.  Try addressing anger with compassion and prayer.  If one is able to continually react with kindness, people will notice. 

The most effective way that I see change is through myself.  I mess up, but I also ask for forgiveness.  I challenge myself to attack all situations with compassion and pray for direction.  Love is contagious and often brings about a willingness to change.

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