Shifting Focus: From Criticism to Grace in Our Lives

Why is it that bad news spreads so much faster than good news? Why do we feel so compelled to share the failures, the scandals, the little annoyances in our daily lives?

We’ll complain to anyone who will listen, about the barista who messed up our coffee. We’ll gossip about the athlete who got arrested, or our neighbors who are going through a contentious divorce. We’re quick to point out the lies and the pain and the worrying circumstance… and in doing so, we train ourselves to keep looking for (and sharing) what’s “wrong” in our world.

But here’s the catch: every time we do, we’re training ourselves to look for what’s wrong. We’re practicing the habit of noticing flaws. By sharing the bad, we invite more of it into our lives. And over time, we build a world where the spotlight is always on the “sinners.”

What if we shifted the lens? What if we gave people a little grace — not because they earned it, but because they’re human. And, if you’re like me…we could use a little more grace ourselves? What if we remembered that your barista is juggling two kids, two jobs, and dozens of orders at once, or that athletes probably wasn’t raised in an environment that left him/her better equipped to make effective decisions? What if, instead of amplifying their worst moment, we threw them a bone instead of thowinng them under a buss?

Here’s the thing: grace is contagious too! Forgiveness has a ripple effect. When we practice looking for the good, we start seeing more of it. When we share stories of kindness, resilience, and generosity, we’re training ourselves — and everyone around us — to value those things.

Imagine if kindness became the headline. Imagine if we celebrated the friend who remembered to check in, the stranger who held the door open, the coworker who made us laugh when we needed it most. These things happen every single day. They just don’t get the airtime. We need that so badly right now.

It’s not about ignoring the hard truths or pretending the bad doesn’t exist. It’s about shifting the weight. Right now, the scales are tipped heavily toward outrage and criticism. What the world could use is a little more spotlight on the saints among us.

So maybe the next time you feel tempted to complain about the person who cut you off in traffic, instead share the story of the driver who waved you in. Maybe instead of ranting on and on about the coffee order gone wrong, you post about the barista who remembered your name. Little by little, we can normalize grace. We can make kindness a thing again.

Because in the end, we get more of what we pay attention to. If we want to live in a world filled with compassion and connection, we can’t just hope for it. We have to practice it, speak it, and share it – until kindness becomes the story that leads.

#loveisaverb