Diagnosis: human

I’ll be honest: I find some people challenging and annoying. As my wife will tell you, I can quickly devolve into criticism and judgment about them.

Recently, one such person revealed to me they have a significant mental health diagnosis that pretty clearly explains the behavior I find offputting. In an instant, my annoyance and judgment evaporated. As soon as I knew they had a “good reason” for their “bad behavior,” I could immediately orient to them with much more love, compassion, and grace.

Somehow a clinical diagnosis freed my mind from my judgment. But the big a-ha for me is that no such diagnosis is actually required for this kind of change of heart. Everyone has a “good reason” that perfectly explains how they are showing up, whether or not it’s diagnosable.

Or perhaps, the only diagnosis they really need is “human.” Being human is hard! Can I let that be enough for me to offer them the love, compassion, and grace they deserve?