Goodwill – Day 2

So an acquaintance is younger, is prettier, is in better shape, has a nicer home, has a more luxurious car, is more successful, has fewer problems, leads a more interesting life. Maybe this person is more creative, more popular, more gifted, more talented, more skilled. Or maybe we don’t see this person as more than we are. Maybe we regard this person as a jerk, but for some reason, no one else, including God, sees this—because this person appears to get all the breaks.

Ill will can take many shapes and forms, from feeling disgusted with other people to feeling satisfied when they have problems. Sometimes ill will takes the form of coveting what others have. Goodwill, on the other hand, has only one shape and form. We wish other people well, we hope God blesses them abundantly, and we want them to be as happy as they can be.

Most of us understand the fundamentals of goodwill, but it’s tempting to slip. We may find ourselves doling out small portions of goodwill. We recall past slights and ask, “Don’t you know what a jerk this person is?” Practicing this value is difficult.

Application: Whenever we find ourselves wishing other people didn’t have what they do, maliciously gossiping, judging, thinking dark and bitter thoughts, or thinking if others had less we’d have more—whenever we start subtly or overtly giving other people the evil eye—it’s time to stop cursing them and practice goodwill instead.

From the book: 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact

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