Doing right is hard. It’s often more difficult to have tough conversations than it is to simply walk away.
By KIRK SMITH
Think back to the last argument you had. Maybe it was with your spouse. Maybe it was with a coworker, or a friend. Regardless of the subject matter, you probably gave every reason you could think of to support your side of the debate.
When I look back on my early military days, I often think about one of my fellow basic training recruits. My first impression of him was horrible. He had a bad attitude and no respect for me or others. Day by day, I let my feelings for him fester. I looked for examples of his rude behavior to support how much I couldn’t stand him. I was determined to be right about him. Nothing he could say or do was going to change my mind.
Or so I thought.
Kirk Smith is president and chief executive officer of the YMCA of Greater Springfield. The more time I spent with him, the more difficult it became to dislike him. As the days went on, he started to show a different side of himself. One day, I woke up and realized how hard I was trying to be right about something very wrong. This guy was actually a decent person. My first impression of him was way off. Why was I working so hard to prove otherwise?
Let’s face it. We all like to be right. It’s human nature.
In this case, after a few eye-opening conversations, I’m proud to say that we went on to become great friends. When I finally stopped trying to be right, I was able to do right. In fact, reaching that conclusion made me realize there really wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him. And, I can say with confidence that the feeling was mutual.
Doing right is hard. It’s often more difficult to have tough conversations than it is to simply walk away. I saw this time and time again in my days of ministering to couples who were struggling. Through difficult conversations, many couples were saved. But, in many cases the unwavering need to be right led to separation or divorce. The same is true for business transactions, religious convictions, family relationships, etc. … The list goes on and on.
Answer the call to the cause. Resist the urge to be right all the time. Embrace the idea of doing right. Be open minded. Have the difficult conversations. I promise you it will pay off in the end.
Kirk Smith is president and chief executive officer of the YMCA of Greater Springfield.
The YMCA of Greater Springfield was founded in 1852 and is the second oldest YMCA in the United States. The YMCA of Greater Springfield serves 105,000 people annually in 14 cities and towns throughout the region.
For more information on YMCA programs or how you can get involved, call 739-6951 (Downtown Springfield Y Family Center), 596-2749 (Scantic Valley Y Family Center), or 788-6143 (Dunbar Y Family & Community Center) or visit www.springfieldy.org