"If you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing it is stupid."

I heard this quote probably a few years ago and ever since then it really stuck with me. The whole meaning behind it of course is that you can base a person's success on the success of someone else. It all goes back to human nature of wanting to compare ourselves to everyone else around us. It is obviously natural. However, God gives each of us our own talents, gifts, and callings. It simply can't be the same as anyone else. Therefor when we try to compare ourselves to others, it isn't even valid, there is no comparison to someone like you.

This also applies to how we judge other people. It would be impossible for me to fairly judge the people around me. They have grown up with different parents, experienced different friends, relationships, and more. These things shape the person we are. So I always try to keep in mind before I judge someone else that I am only basing my judgment on my own experiences.

Not only does this simple quote apply to our own lives and the lives of those around us I think there is so much to be learned from this simple quote. "If you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing it is stupid." Let's learn to encourage one another for who they are and not who we think they should be. It doesn't mean we will always agree but it sure does mean we will learn to appreciate the people around us with other gifts, talents, and abilities...What a beautiful world we would live in if we only gave this a thought.