Good Health

It seems to me the way I see the world is judged by another through how they see the world.
I am seeing a lot of this in world politics at the moment.  One says another lies, cheats and steals.  While it may be done it might make up 5% of the nations attributes.  Yet it dominates the perceivers way of doing things.  So the perceiver hones in on that aspect of the other nation declaring that is the way they are.
While it seems to me no person or nation is free of undesirable things, I do not believe a person should be judged by me in a “set in stone” manner.  It may be hard to admit but it is true for all, I can be wrong.
I knew a fella who murdered another.  A price needed to be paid for such a thing and was.  Yet when I met he and his wife some years later they were people I was happy to associate with.  He had changed.  While murderer was in his resume it was not current.
There is no doubt I have said and done things I would like to take back.  I may not have murdered someone, but I have lied.  Both acts are undesirable.  While one act may have immediate catastrophic consequences both acts have consequences.  But what I have done does not necessarily define me.  If there is no chance or desire to change then for sure what I do is an extension of who I am.
But an action does not always define the aspirations of a heart.  What I did 10 years ago is not necessarily who I am today.  There have been people I have seen I did not want to associate with, as their behaviour was not something I wanted to be a part of.  Yet I have seen those people later and been gob smacked by the change.  No doubt people could say the same of me too.
The point for me is I see actions, but I don’t see hearts.  Actions are born of hearts but I do not see the desire to be different or to change.  My actions must always be born of my heart.  I only know part of another’s story.   My role is simply to love and be true to what I believe .  I can be disappointed in another or elated, but the bottom line for me is act on what I see all the while acknowledging that what I see does not necessarily represent the whole story.
Like me, everyone’s story is still being written and may end up being a pleasant surprise.  I don’t condone or excuse some behaviour, but I know change starting with me is a good place to start.