I attended a Toastmaster meeting on the 7th of January. This organization is all about helping people become competent and confident speakers. If you have never been to Toastmasters, you should find your local chapter and check it out. One of the things they do at every meeting is assign a “Joke Master” who tells a short, humorous, or impactful story. A lovely and confident young woman was the “Joke Master” tonight. She told a story about a mom who encountered her three-year-old holding an apple in each hand. She asked the girl if she would give her one of the apples. The girl looked at her mom, looked at the two apples, and proceeded to take a bite out of each apple! The mom was dismayed by this seemingly selfish behavior and was trying to decide on how to respond when the girl extended one of the apples and said, “Take this one, it’s sweeter!” The mom’s heart melted and she gladly took the apple. The point is that we should never pass judgment until we have collected all of the necessary facts.
Over the coming days, take note of situations in which you are jumping to conclusions, assuming others’ intentions with no real evidence, or impatiently concluding what the outcome will be. Instead, wait for all relevant facts to be revealed before forming an opinion. Then, carefully think and craft a response that aligns with all of the facts at hand. That will yield a truly “Grounded” result.