It’s true.
Some relationships are difficult.
They are like thorns always poking and painful.
But how can we handle such sore personal relationships.
John Maxwell’s dad modelled and taught him this lesson, which he writes in his blog.
“You see, in every interaction, there are three roads that we can take:
1. The low road, where I’m out to get you,
2. The middle road, where I’ll basically treat you as you treat me, and
3. The high road, where I’ll treat you well regardless of how you treat me.
When I was younger, I watched my dad, time and time again, treat people well, no matter what. Often that meant he treated them much better than they treated him. As a young person, I sometimes wished that he would fight for himself more, that he would exercise his rights more. But he didn’t. Instead, he consistently traveled the high road in every relationship. He gave way. He let things go. He forgave. He loved people anyway.
I remember once hearing a man ask Dad his opinion of a man who had spoken badly about him.
“I think he’s a fine man,” Dad said.
In response the questioner said, “Well, he’s said a lot of terrible things about you! What do you say to that?”
The high road, where I’ll treat you well regardless of how you treat me.
I’ll never forget Dad’s response: “You asked me what I thought of him, not what he thought of me.”
I didn’t understand how valuable that habit modeled by Dad was as a young person, but now I see the wisdom of the high road. Here it is: When you treat people better than what they deserve, you don’t carry emotional baggage. Why? Because taking the high road allows you to let go and move on. Taking the high road involves acceptance and forgiveness. It means loving someone enough to treat them better than they might deserve.”
Are you ready to take the High Road today?
