Licking the Razor's Edge (2015)

Tip #02: FORGIVE, FORGIVE, FORGIVE …
Your enemies are not here to be rejected or ridiculed or insulted or ignored. Rather, they
are in your life so that you might exhibit the courage necessary to “bring them back into
the fold” – so that you might persist in showing them Compassion and Kindness – so that
you might treat them as your Friends.
Yes, you have been taught that you need to set up “healthy boundaries” between yourself
and all the dysfunctional people in your life. The problem is – when you do so, you
become increasingly cold & callous; you give them exactly the rejection that caused their
dysfunction in the first place … And in doing so, you yourself become dysfunctional.
Yes, you have been taught that it is good to “punish criminals” and give them “what they
deserve”. The problem is – when you do so, you become increasingly cold and callous;
you give them the very condemnation that inspired their violence in the first place …
And in doing so, you yourself become an emotional “criminal”.
And yes, you have been taught that hypocrites, liars and cheats (a.k.a. most politicians
and quite a few evangelical preachers) should be exposed and appropriately humiliated.
The problem is – when you do so, you become increasingly cold & callous; you exude &
entrench in them the very shame that inspired their hypocrisy in the first place … And in
doing so, you veer away from your own Caring Self; you yourself become a hypocrite.
When tempted to move away in disgust & disdain from your life’s “energy leeches”,
move forward with Kindness instead.
When tempted to condemn those who have harmed you or others, reach out with
Forgiveness instead.
When tempted to ridicule the fallen, open up to them with Compassion instead.
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