One way to have peace of mind

I always prefer to believe the best of everybody - it saves so much trouble.
- Rudyard Kipling

When we believe the best of everyone, that involves two things. First is the fact that we believe what the person says and what others say about him. This can be risky because either might be false.

Second suggests that if we believe the best of someone we will trust them. Trust has its own widely documented risks.

However, when the risks are not high or obvious, there is a peace within ourselves where we don't have to worry about others. This inner peace can mean a great deal in an otherwise hectic life.

The alternative, where we believe the worst about people or don't trust them, puts us in the position of always being wary of everyone, of not trusting anyone, of constantly feeling the need to be on our guard.

Do the arithmetic. Having peace of mind most of the time versus having peace of mind none of the time.

If we are not prepared to allow disappointments by others to shove us into despair or cause us lasting heartache, then trusting people and believing the best of them is by far the better alternative.

We can make a conscious decision to make our lives more peaceful if we set our minds to living in this fashion.

Hey! It's hard. But so are lots of other things we manage to get through.

Bill Allin
'Turning It Around: Causes and Cures for Today's Epidemic Social Problems,' striving to show you how to ease the burdens of your mind.
Learn more at http://billallin.com/cgi/index.pl