FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS

Just before spring vacation in fourth grade, Mrs. Chung announced that we were having a "pop quiz" that day.  She passed the quiz out face down and told us not to turn it over until she gave us instructions to do so.  As the quiz was put in front of me, I could see from the reverse side of the paper, that there were about 10 questions.  Then came the verbal direction that brought the certainty of failure to most of us in the room.

"You'll have two minutes to finish the quiz," said Mrs. Chung.  "Turn over your paper and start now."

The quiz was just a set of simple tasks, but impossible to finish in two minutes.  Make three 3 X's in the upper right corner, write the word "cat" five times on the back of the page, circle every word in question #7, put six stars in the lower left corner, etc.  I was on question #5 and I noticed that several people were already done.   Before I could "draw 4 boxes at the top of the page," Mrs. Chung called time.  Most of us were still working and started to complain that we needed more time.

"This is a quiz on following instructions," said Mrs. Chung.  "Let's read question #1 aloud."

1. READ EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING.

"Now class, let's skip down and read question #10."

10. PUT YOUR PENCIL DOWN AND WAIT FOR THE TEACHER TO CALL TIME.

The humiliation of that exercise turned me into a compulsive "instructions reader."  Oh, I've had a few situations where I let my impatience get the best of me.  Every man has that nightmare swingset story where you end up with 14 additional pieces that you try to hide in your garage as your wife puts your two-year old in the swinging baby seat.   But for the most part, I'll read the complete instructions for a flashlight thanks to that little quiz in fourth grade.

But I don't always remember that we're constantly getting "instructions" in life that we simply ignore or don't have the patience to follow.  We don't get a set of instructions that come with our friends, or spouses, or partners, or children.  But the Universe keeps trying to tell us.

Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31)


If you judge people, you have no time to love them. (Mother Teresa)


Turn your wounds into wisdom (Oprah Winfrey)


I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart (Anne Frank)


The quality of your life is the quality of your relationships (Anthony Robbins)


That brief little quiz in fourth grade was a foreshadowing of where I would be successful in life and where I would fail miserably.  Early in my life, I rushed through things, being more focused on "finishing" than doing things right.   I didn't see the wisdom of the process, only the sparkling gold of being "number one."  That impatience and greed cost me dearly in relationships lost and opportunities squandered.

But when I take the time to truly understand what is in front of me and follow the instructions the Universe keeps giving me, I find that this complicated and confusing world is actually very simple.
People will give you whatever you're looking for.  Look for their worst and you'll get it.  Look for their best, you'll get that.  Put love out in the world and all the love you need will come back to you many times over.

Don't sweat the small stuff.  Now put your pencil down and listen to the teacher........