Some gifts do not arrive wrapped.
They arrive as guidance.
Correction.
Suggestion.
And if we are wise…
We receive them.
Direction, correction, and suggestion should not be feared.
They should be welcomed.
Sought after.
Even coveted.
Why?
Because they help us grow.
They help us stay on course.
They help us see what we cannot see by ourselves.
A life without these three things can drift very quickly.
No direction.
No correction.
No suggestion.
That is a dangerous way to travel.
DIRECTION.
Children need direction as they grow.
They need to be nudged.
Counseled.
Guided.
Watched over.
Corrected when necessary.
Encouraged often.
Parents provide direction so the child has something solid to build on.
Adults need direction too.
Employees need direction.
Marriages need direction.
Businesses need direction.
Even a vacation needs direction.
An itinerary tells us where we are going and how we expect to get there.
Without direction, people wander.
And wandering too long can begin to look like a life without purpose.
CORRECTION.
Correction is another gift.
Not always pleasant.
Not always easy.
But necessary.
How correction is given matters greatly.
Correction done with cruelty can wound a person for years.
Correction done with love can shape a person for life.
There is a big difference.
Correction should not be used to crush.
It should be used to restore.
Correction should not be used to humiliate.
It should be used to help.
Correction should not be used to prove superiority.
It should be used to bring someone back to what is right, fair, decent, and true.
A child who never receives healthy correction may grow into an adult who resents all correction.
That is not freedom.
That is poor preparation.
SUGGESTION.
Suggestion is a gentle cousin to correction.
It says:
Have you considered this?
What about trying it another way?
Maybe there is a better path here.
Suggestion is powerful because it addresses the blind side.
And we all have one.
The blind side is called blind for a reason.
You cannot see it.
Others often can.
That is why feedback and input matter.
A wise person learns to listen without immediately defending.
A foolish person argues away the very thing that could have helped them.
THE UNSEEN ENEMY.
The enemy of direction, correction, and suggestion is usually pride and ego.
Pride says:
Don’t tell me what to do.
Ego says:
I already know.
Pride refuses correction.
Ego rejects suggestion.
Together, they keep a person stuck.
And then life has to become the teacher.
Life teaches harder.
Life charges more.
Life gives tests first and explanations later.
That is why it is better to receive direction, correction, and suggestion early.
Better from someone who cares than from consequences that do not.
MARRIAGE, FRIENDSHIP, AND WORK.
In marriage, these three are essential.
A husband and wife must be able to guide each other.
Correct each other.
Suggest better ways to love, speak, listen, and live.
In friendships, these three matter too.
A real friend does not just applaud you.
A real friend helps you become better.
In the workplace, these three keep the mission alive.
A business without direction is confusion.
A business without correction is decline.
A business without suggestion is missed opportunity.
MAY YOU GET YOUR FILL.
There are people starving for these things.
They did not receive them growing up.
Nobody guided them.
Nobody lovingly corrected them.
Nobody offered meaningful suggestion.
So they wandered into adulthood carrying gaps they did not create but now must address.
There is no shame in that.
The shame would be refusing help once help is available.
Receive direction.
Receive correction.
Receive suggestion.
And when you give them to others, give them with patience, charity, humility, and good motive.
Do not use them as weapons.
Use them as tools.
Tools build.
Weapons destroy.
The purpose is growth.
The purpose is wisdom.
The purpose is a better life.
May you receive your fill of direction, correction, and suggestion.
And may you be wise enough to recognize them when they arrive.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
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