Direction.
Correction.
Suggestion.
Instruction.
Four gifts that help us grow…
if pride and ego do not get in the way.
Direction, correction, instruction and suggestion should be sought after and valued not only in daily life…
but throughout the moments of the day.
Think about that for a moment.
Having purpose…
and having something to practice that purpose on…
helps define meaning in a person’s life.
These four things support that process.
If life is always moving…
why not engage it at optimum?
THE TRUE COIN
The following should be on everyone’s radar if the goal is to become a better person.
Improving one’s self is a wise investment.
Feed the inner self…
and it often gives back more than it receives.
That is one of the strange and wonderful things about inner growth.
Inner time is TIME WELL SPENT.
It may be the true coin of this realm we are passing through.
And these four things help nurture it.
DIRECTION
Children need direction as they grow and mature.
They need to be:
nudged,
guided,
counseled,
monitored,
and encouraged
so they can stay on a reasonable course until their own judgment and common sense develop.
Some adults could use a little direction too.
LOL.
Employers give direction to staff so the business plan can actually move.
A travel itinerary gives direction so you know:
where you are,
where you are going,
and how you intend to get there.
We all need some version of that.
Human beings are mobile.
We seek.
We inquire.
We move.
So it helps to know:
WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Without direction…
movement can become wandering.
CORRECTION
Correction is another powerful tool.
But HOW it is delivered matters.
This is especially true with children.
Correction delivered with humiliation, anger, injustice or cruelty can create harm that lasts.
Correction given with love, fairness and good motives can help shape a person for the better.
The point is not merely to say:
YOU ARE WRONG.
The point is to help the person see:
HERE IS A BETTER WAY.
Adults need correction too.
Why?
Because we all develop BLIND SIDES.
Parts of ourselves we do not see clearly.
Habits.
Reactions.
Weaknesses.
Patterns.
Other people may notice them long before we do.
That is why input and feedback matter.
PAUSE FOR CAUSE.
If nobody can ever correct you…
how exactly do you expect to improve what you cannot see?
SUGGESTION
Suggestion can be one of the gentlest forms of guidance.
Someone sees something.
They offer:
Have you considered this?
What if you tried that?
Maybe there is another way.
Suggestion can address the blind side without immediately creating defensiveness.
It can operate as:
nudging,
guiding,
mentoring,
coaching,
or simple friendly input.
And when a person is genuinely open to feedback…
suggestion can improve almost any situation.
But there is a catch.
Suggestion has to be WELCOMED.
If every suggestion is treated like an insult…
people eventually stop offering them.
Then the blind side remains blind.
INSTRUCTION
Having never been here before…
and considering the endless number of fascinating things there are to explore…
I remain interested in instruction.
Show me.
Teach me.
Explain it.
Help me understand the startup.
Help me engage the thing properly.
Help me maximize the experience.
That requires something from me too.
OPENNESS.
If I want instruction…
I have to be approachable.
I cannot ask people to help me…
then fight them every time they do.
Instruction requires humility on both sides.
The teacher must communicate clearly.
The learner must remain willing to learn.
IT’S A FORM OF LOVE
There are people starving for these things.
Some never received enough:
direction,
correction,
instruction,
or healthy suggestion
while growing up.
Later, they may have to seek:
mentors,
coaches,
trusted friends,
teachers,
or professional counseling
to receive some of what was missing.
That should tell us something.
These are not merely management tools.
They are forms of CARE.
When done correctly…
they say:
I SEE YOU.
I WANT YOU TO DO WELL.
I WANT TO HELP YOU GROW.
That is why motive matters so much.
GIFTS THAT MATTER
In marriages…
friendships…
business…
families…
and relationships of all kinds…
the exchange of these four things can strengthen what we are trying to build.
Direction.
Correction.
Suggestion.
Instruction.
But there are two enemies standing nearby.
PRIDE.
EGO.
An undisciplined nature does not want correction.
It resists suggestion.
It refuses direction.
And it certainly does not want anybody instructing it.
Why?
Because ego often hears:
HELP
and translates it into:
ATTACK.
That is a problem.
WHEN YOU GIVE IT
Now…
there is responsibility on the giver too.
Do not use correction as punishment.
Do not disguise control as direction.
Do not use suggestion as manipulation.
Do not instruct someone just to prove you know more.
Your motive matters.
Ask yourself:
Am I trying to help…
or am I trying to dominate?
That one question can clean up a lot of human interaction.
WHEN YOU GET IT
And when you are on the receiving end…
do not automatically defend.
Listen first.
Examine it.
Ask:
Is there truth here?
Is there something useful?
Does this person have my best interest in mind?
If yes…
TAKE THE GIFT.
You do not have to agree with every word.
But do not reject valuable input just because your pride answered the door first.
RICHIE SPEAKS
Here is one Richie rule:
Correction given without care becomes criticism.
Another:
Suggestion can open a door that pride keeps trying to lock.
And one more:
If you want to grow…
you have to remain teachable.
PEARLS FROM THE BOOKS
From the spirit of Pearls for the Soul:
“Growth often arrives through another person’s willingness to show us what we cannot yet see.”
From the spirit of God I AM:
“Guidance becomes fruitful when humility is present in both the giver and the receiver.”
From the spirit of It Is Finished:
“Release the reflex to defend everything and examine what may be trying to help you.”
PEARLS INSIGHT
Direction, correction, suggestion and instruction are all forms of developmental feedback.
Their value depends on two things:
the quality of the motive behind them…
and the openness of the person receiving them.
When delivered with respect and received without unnecessary defensiveness, they can improve judgment, relationships, performance and self-awareness.
PEARLS CONNECTION
This connects directly with THE LEARNING CURVE IS PERSONAL.
Everyone learns differently…
but everyone still benefits from useful guidance.
It also connects with THE POWER OF REASON…ARE YOU REASONABLE?
Reason helps us examine feedback without immediately treating disagreement as attack.
And TEACHING BY EXAMPLE MAKES FOR GOOD LEARNING reminds us that instruction becomes strongest when the giver actually lives what they are teaching.
FINAL SAY
Remember these four things:
DIRECTION.
CORRECTION.
SUGGESTION.
INSTRUCTION.
Value them when they are given with care.
Offer them when they are genuinely needed.
Do not use them to control.
Do not reject them simply because they make you uncomfortable.
Pride will resist.
Ego will object.
Fine.
Let them make noise.
Then ask the better question:
IS THERE SOMETHING HERE THAT CAN HELP ME GROW?
When you GIVE these things…
give them with love.
When you GET these things…
receive them with enough humility to examine them.
That is how people help people along.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
Been expecting you