“Treat a man as he appears to be, and you make him worse. But treat a man as if he were what he potentially could be, and you make him what he should be.”
―Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

            I love this quote. However, I need to remind myself of it on a daily basis. Far too often I allow what I see—or have seen—to influence how I treat others. A past slight, perceived or actual, possesses the potential to determine how we view, and subsequently treat, others. A negative first impression may doom an individual to a lifetime of indifference or lowered expectations. We must guard against this tendency.

            John Maxwell suggests there are three variables that assist folks in changing: they learn enough; they hurt enough; or they are allowed to change. We can play a role in all three instances, but the third one is where my focus is today. When we hold a view of someone, especially a negative view, we are creating an environment that serves to inhibit or prevent any change on their part. Scroll back up to the top of the page and take a look at the quote again.

            We all possess incredible potential, but each of us requires a certain set of circumstances to reach that potential. How we view, and treat, others either lifts them up or keeps them shackled to the ground. Today I encourage you to think about a person in your life who could benefit from you changing your view of them. Do something—anything—that edifies them and allows them to become that which they were created to be. Identify the student or staff member in your life that could benefit from a new, improved view and write them a letter, call them, or meet with them and help them see the good within themselves they are unable to see without your assistance. Do it today; tomorrow is not promised to us.