Licking the Razor's Edge (2015)

And this dynamic holds true for any criticism. When my friend accused me of “wasting
my time” instead of “more powerfully helping” others, what he was actually doing was
revealing to me that this is how he viewed his own life. That he was also emotionally
upset by my perceived ineffectiveness simply meant that he himself was very frustrated
over not living a life that was more Meaning-fully aligned with his own dreams.
The benefit of recognizing this dynamic is quite powerful – it opens the door for us to
exude a deep-seated & sincere Compassion for our “enemies”. Instead of becoming
angry or irate; instead of defending ourselves or explaining ourselves or rationalizing our
choices; instead of becoming annoyed or insulted – we can calmly hear the criticism
being pointed at us, and then just as calmly beam immense Compassion back to the one
who has sent it our way.
BENEFIT #03: ENHANCED AWARENESS OF TRUE SELF …
The final benefit of this practice is a wonderfully positive one. You see, the “one finger
out, three fingers back” dynamic not only works with criticism leveled upon us, but also
compliments we give to others.
Go ahead, invest a few moments and think about a few of your heroes – the men and
women you most admire. Think about what you most respect about how they deal with
others and how they serve humanity. Think about the character traits they exude that you
find most admirable …
Well, everything you just thought about is already a part of who you already are!
After all, one finger out is all-Ways three fingers back …
… Now all that remains is for you go forth and act accordingly.
“We can only See in others what we currently
are, what we recently were, or what we are
very close to becoming. The good news about
this is that, if a negative behavior is able to be
seen, it is ready to be transcended – and if a
positive trait is able to be seen, it is ready to be
realized.” ~ anonymous
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