From a Different Perspective

Have you ever been offended? Have you ever been offended on behalf of someone else? Do you know the mysterious line that separates being concerned for others versus allowing people to take complete advantage over you? Do you have all the information before you make a judgment?
These are a lot of the questions I've been pondering for awhile. Two Sundays ago we had talks on forgiveness, true charity (meaning the love of Christ, not donations to the poor/needy), and not being judgmental. I took a lot away from that meeting and felt so uplifted. I've had further conversations on the subject with Eric and a couple other people.
I think the first thing that I learned is that perspective is so alluring. It's tempting to view the world simply as I have experienced it. On the way to school today, Emily informed me that Gianna's shoes are a "little bit too small". For Emily, the shoes ARE too small. However, on Gianna's feet, they are a little too big. What Emily REALLY meant was that her sister's shoes weren't fitting well, but she had to explain it to me in the words of her perspective: viewing the world as she experiences it. Since the shoes don't fit her and she's been told "they are too small," that is how she can describe the issue to me. How many times have we done the same thing in other aspects of life? "That person isn't doing what I would if I were in that position/situation." I tend to do this, especially when I'm feeling hurt by something that may not even be related to the situation.
The second thing I learned is from my live-in sage, Eric. I want to get this part of my character cleaned up. I want to love others. I want to have charity in my heart. By doing this (positive thinking/actions), I will stop being judgmental. So, Eric wisely tells me that I have to care about people for them, not me. I can build up others without deciding what I would have done in their situation and then making a judgment on their actions. Instead, I can just love them and help in the event that they need assistance. I can stop worrying about the way they view me. Wrongly or rightly, they are entitled to their opinion. I know what is true which is all I should be concerned with.
So, I'm letting go of the drive to only view the world from my eyes. I'm going to make a concerted effort in viewing the world from different perspectives so that I can be more loving and a better friend to all. My opinions are not truth and I can accept that.