​This past month, we’ve once again celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As I’ve given my own nod to the power of forgiveness in the face of enemies over the past three weeks, one lesson percolated into recognition in a way I hadn’t considered before. Dr. King and his civil rights colleagues taught us that
 
Empathy, forgiveness, and unconditional acceptance defeat terrorism.

Have you ever tried to tell a 3-year-old what he or she should do? How did that work for you? Unless, and until, the behavior we desire aligns with what the 3-year-old desires, our only hope of compliance rests in threats (“I’m counting to three”) or physical coercion (carrying them to their room). Three-year-olds just want to do it their way, and the desire for self-determination never wanes.

I have a confession to make: sometimes I embarrass my children. Now, my children are grown (ages 19-28), so you’d think they would be over it. However, sometimes my playful side (that’s what I call it) comes out, and they distance themselves with a smile, a shake of the head, and this phrase:
 
Don’t be that guy.