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Today's
Meditation:
While
I don't like to admit it, difficult people have sometimes
been the best teachers in my life. Through them I've
learned to develop patience, tolerance, and the ability to
see things from different perspectives. While it's
been a challenge to face them sometimes, I have learned a
lot from them--usually in spite of them, though, rather
than because of anything they've done.
It's
easy to see that most difficult people aren't trying to
teach us a thing. They act in difficult ways because
they're allowing their greed, their need for control, or
their fear dictate how they treat other people. They
certainly don't have my growth in mind when they treat me
poorly or force me into situations I would rather not be
in.
But
each of these people presents an opportunity for me to
grow and to learn, especially about myself. They
give me a chance to practice things that I probably
wouldn't be practicing if they weren't around. I
usually don't need to practice patience with a friend or
co-worker with whom I get along well, but a difficult
person may make me dig down deep in order to find what I
need in order not to lose my cool or to let the person
control me or my actions.
If
love is supposed to be unconditional, then I should be
able to show love even to the difficult people.
Where does this love come from when I truly feel no desire
at all to love a certain person? Therein lies the
challenge--to find that source of love and make it
accessible all the time, for all people. It's easy
to love those who are lovable, but I have to work to find
the source of love when I need to love a difficult
person. Without difficult people around, I'd never
dig, now would I?
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