Are you perfect? When I ask my audience members that question only a very funny person will put up their hand. What right do we have to see others through our imperfect judgmental, gossiping, labeling, prejudice 10% lens when we are not perfect? And did you ever notice that those who do the most amount of judging and labeling are actually the ones who need the most “work”? How you see others is how you see yourself.

One of my many missions in life is to encourage people to take the time to see people through a 90% lens — the non-judgemental, compassionate, sympathetic, understanding magnifying glass. People have big lives filled with personal, work and family problems. Don’t we all have a story?

Look for an opportunity to make someone’s day. Open a door, give a parking spot away, let everyone in in traffic, buy stacks of gift cards and give them away, tip hugely, replace Christmas presents with charitable donations, tell people they are good because some really need to hear that. I find someone everyday to tell that they are doing a great job.

Make it your mission to go out in the world and this busy Christmas season and offer patience, kindness, compassion and understanding. You never know someone’s story. We can judge others, but I was taught not to judge others unless I was willing to help them. I can’t wait for the most depleted person in the airport to sit next to me, I always hear the story to go with the depletion and I will offer them a word of encouragement.

I had the blessing of hearing John DiJulius speak and he shares this video in his presentation. What a great reminder that everyone has a story.