Daily Gratitude: It’s so important for us to remember this. Haven’t you wondered how your best friend could think so highly of John Smith? You just know he’s a jerk and dishonest and oh so conceited. After all, he snubbed you at the company party last year; he never smiles at you; and has never given you even one compliment. He must be a nasty man. How could two people have such different opinions of one person? Is he a different person when he interacts with each? Probably not since that requires planning and maximal effort. He’s probably the same guy no matter who’s around. So why does one person think highly of him and the other not? Because this man, John Smith, is thought of differently by you and your friend. You each have evaluated him based on your past experiences and your impressions (your thoughts and opinions). All of our thoughts and opinions are based on our past. Some people trust everyone because that’s how they were taught. Some don’t trust anyone for the same reason. Next time you have an automatic impression come into your head, stop and ask yourself two things: 1) Where am I getting this idea and 2) what other evidence can I gather to either substantiate or refute this possibly incorrect first impression it will teach you a lot about yourself.