I Am NOT Above Judging Others

I was in an accident the first week of January 2012.  At 8:30 in the morning on my way to a conference, I was hit by a drunk driver who was halfway through a Corona (beer) when he hit me.  Then he left the scene of the accident.  Oh and one more thing, he was in full military uniform.

Yes, I was injured; fortunately not too seriously.  I walked away, but I was truly devastated.  Devastated by someone who failed to do the right thing on so many levels.

I believe that we should all do the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing.  I mean, I stop at stop signs in the middle of the night with no one around.  And here was a young man who made a decision to put other people in jeopardy with a series of choices and behaviors.  A young man who has been trained to live values of  Honor, Courage and Commitment — and chose not to.  His choices created pain, inconvenience, fear and challenges in my life.  The good news is I know how to change it all and I understand that I am fully responsible for my outcomes.

The whole event had put me in the position of having to listen to some of the advice and direction I give others on a daily basis:  You are exactly where you are supposed to be at all times — everything for a reason; Trust your body to know how to heal; Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself; Let go of your attachment to how thing “should” be; and You cannot control others — you can only control your response.  I have to say, I am pretty wise for my years.

I really had to connect at a core level with these beliefs, do the exercises and embrace the fact that we as human beings are really all just doing the best we can with what we have at any given time.  Have I found forgiveness? Yes.  I am also free of the fear and other challenges created.  The pain and inconvenience abated with time, but I was on track and healed within 6 weeks from what my doctor said should take 6-9 months (like I have time for that!)

So the next time you are challenged with other people’s choices, your health or mental status, remember you are in the position to make the changes to improve your life, your outcome.