"58" Shades of Gray

I took this photo when I got to work Tuesday. I love the sunrise. I love the fresh start of a new day.

Often I wonder "what is going to be special about this day"?
The biggest question mark is interacting with people. Will it be challenging? Yes. Will it be productive? Probably. Will my outlook on life be affected? I never know. But it will be interesting. And my behavior will affect and influence others.

I used to worry a lot in the morning. Concerned the day would not turn out well. Often I would take myself so seriously I couldn't enjoy a sunrise as beautiful as this.

One major reason I can enjoy the beauty and color of a view like this is;

I see the world in "shades of gray".

When I was younger I thought life needed to be defined as black or white, right or wrong.

I thought there was a “right” worldview.
I thought there must be a “right” religion.
I thought there must be a “right” political party.
I thought the person who made the most money had the “rightest” job.
I thought every task had a “right” way to be done.
I thought being “right” made people happy.
I thought being “right” would make me happy, and I wouldn’t be happy until I got it “right”..

I was wrong.
The more I tried to be “right” the “wronger” I felt.
The more I tried to be “right” the unhappier I was.
The more I tried to judge other people as “right” or “wrong” the more conflict I had with those very people.

Very few things in life are black or white. Some are.
Murder
Pedophilia
Rape
A few others could be added to the list, but not many.

Now, rather than black or white, right or wrong, I see almost everything in the world as “shades of gray”.
In most cases there is no definitive right or wrong.

I still get frustrated trying to understand and get along with people. However, letting go of the need to be “right” allows me to look for “what is going to work best, right now and into the future”.

The worldview and opinions of the people I interact with are just as valid to them as mine are to me. The better I can understand their viewpoint, the easier it is to either reach a compromise, or agree to disagree.

This world is complicated. This world is messy. People are messy. So in order to get along better...

I am an advocate for "shades of gray".