Wisdoms from the Journey - Vol VII (May thru Dec 2013)

You see, every time we are blasted in any way by someone “mean” or
“manipulative” or “evil”, we are actually being asked to give these “bad people”
what they want more than anything else — our annoyance, our sadness, our anger
or our fear. And thus, when we choose to defend ourselves against their attacks —
or run away, or sulk, or attack them in return -- we are actually giving them their
most prized desire on a silvered platter. By responding in such ways, they have
effectively manipulated us into giving them the very negativity they so desperately
desire; making them feel powerful on the short-term, and yet ultimately
entrenching the very feelings of low self-esteem & self-loathing that inspired their
poor behaviors in the first place.
In this way, your acts of “self defense” actually make your enemies that
much stronger, and thus their future attacks much more likely … thereby making
your life actually much LESS safe as well.
On the other hand, consciously responding to such dysfunctions with gentle
Kindness is thoroughly unsatisfying to these “villains”. They want your
condemnation, and yet receive your compassion … They want your hatred, and
yet receive your Love … They want a victim either cowering or enraged, and yet
receive someone behaving valiantly … And, if you decide to persist with such a
courageously Caring response, these folks will have only one penultimate choice:
either leave you alone to find their victim elsewhere -- or reawaken to the True
Self they have forgotten, and start treating you like a Friend.
As such, quite ironically — and despite your ego’s fervent desire to believe
otherwise, responding to attacks & aggressions with flagrant acts of humble
Kindness is your best (if not only) form of effective “self-defense”.
Consider this with humility …
… And please, enact it with Courage.
(inspired by John Frazee)
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