Removing Our Wrong Perceptions

​"Much of our suffering comes from wrong perceptions. To remove that hurt, we have to remove our wrong perception." Thich Nhat Hanh (1926-2022)

​Caregivers, I read this quote from the man who spent his life sharing his knowledge of love, understanding and compassion. I've never read one of his quotes without feeling he is spot-on. And this quote is no different, especially in regards to our world today. One of the questions I often hear when presenting a training is: how do I deal with someone who disrupts my life and creates drama wherever he goes? Often this question is in relation to the workplace environment. This is happening on a very grand scale today due to the challenges Covid has placed before us. Thich Nhat Hanh, who left us recently at age 95, offers deep listening and loving speech. In other words, communication that is open to empathy and compassion for another. He notes what he suggests is not easy, especially in our Western world where being wrong eats away at our self-esteem and causes shame. When all is said and done, we can't all be right all the time! Enter perceptions. We are masters at perception. We see the world from our own perspective and that usually leads us into trouble. If we are right, can everyone else be wrong? We tend to think so. The pressure we put on ourselves to condemn others for the purpose of being right creates high, high levels of stress, burnout and compassion fatigue. Changing this pattern takes time, effort and commitment to a universal truth - we are interconnected. To understand another is to understand ourselves. And that is worth all the effort.