Today’s inspiration comes from a favorite quote of mine, especially during this time* of year:

My tailor is the wisest man I know. He’s the only person who measures me every time I go in. – George Bernard Shaw

Most of us forget this courtesy. We categorize people by our experiences with them and the choices they’ve made to create a concrete image that’s hard to change.

After all, labels save time. 

Ironically, the temptation to label people is perhaps greatest in the family, among the people we’ve lived with the longest and have the greatest opportunity to re-measure. Labels like, the “baby,” the “smart one,” the “competitive one,” the “shy one,” the “risk-taking one,” the “never-achieved-their-potential one,” —all are difficult roles to change. 

Granted, it’s hard work to reassess a person. We have to stop long enough to take in new information, analyze it, compare it to our previous perspective, and then decide whether or not to apply it. 

But as we sit on the cusp of the Thanksgiving season, maybe it’s worth the effort to re-measure. Perhaps we could look across the table, be curious and consider:

What has changed in the last twelve months that may have prompted personal growth, a shift in thinking, or a new role?

The time may be ripe for resizing. Our prized relationships may deepen and grow in the process.

How about you? How have your life’s changes prompted growth in the last twelve months?

And on we go. . .

*Note: For those following along in Morning Fuel, the reading for November 14: Time for Remeasure, features this “resizing” approach to holiday gatherings.

P.S. Thanks for sharing your pictures of Morning Fuel. Keep them coming!

P.P.S. For those in the Baltimore area: The Ivy Bookshop has a pop-up at The Shops at Kenilworth (Thursday through Sunday, subject to change.) Signed books will be available there!