This world is filled with people of incredibly diverse backgrounds and passions. In this world, one of the most valuable skills I can have is the ability to understand.

When I can grasp and consider the viewpoint of another, it immediately puts our relationship on a vastly higher plane. Even when I do not agree and never will, still it pays to understand.

The more interconnected and interdependent I become, the more valuable is my ability to understand.

I know seeking to truly understand someone and see the world from their point of view will demand courage and confidence from me. I will very likely be confronted with a new idea that will challenge my own comfortable assumptions.

Yet I know that when my “thinking” is challenged, my “thinking” becomes stronger. The more I seek to understand others, the more powerful and effective my own thoughts and efforts will be.