It can hurt to grow and evolve. It can feel like a drudgery of sacrifice to realize someone has to rise above the conflict, and if the other won't, then we must. Over and over again, we must. With hands gripping the door frame, and fingernails scratching at the hardwood floors, I am being drawn to this calling. This calling that recognizes that when someone hurts me, it's because their inner world is in pain. When someone slights me, something in them lacks gallantry. When someone calls me a name in hopes of lessening my stature, it is because they feel less than in stature. Do I have to go on, or do you get it? What I am saying is that the other person is always giving to you, what they are and who they are. Not only does what they give, have nothing to do with you, what they give is all they can give. In other words, there is nothing else they could have given, there wasn't another choice. Not in that moment was there another choice, the moment for there to have been another choice was when they were identifying who they were in that moment. That is where another path could have opened up. If the other had seen himself or herself as strong, they could have behaved with dignity, if the other had seen himself or herself as fortunate, they could have responded with generosity. But the moment they identified with wounded, damaged or lacking in some way, then all they could give you was something to wound you, damage you or an attempt to lessen you is some manner. And one day we must realize their imperfect gift, is them. It is not something directed towards you. What they give has nothing to do with you, it isn't even a response in some way, for in some way, all the other is doing, is giving you who they are. They are digging into their fractured soul and handing what was there, to you. And what do we usually do? I know what I sometimes do. I say- Oh, that's not pretty at all. How dare you!?- Don't give me that again!" And I feel righteous, I feel it warranted and I feel absolutely no shame or guilt. But what I do feel is confused. Am I a teacher, I ask? If so, that expression doesn't seem very loving or regal. It seemed to lack the divine touch, the radiance of someone who really knows what I know and reflects it. No, that expression of mine does not seem a reflection of the laws, knowledge and the understanding I have in my heart.

Here is where I must stand at the fork in the road, here is where you must stand at the fork in the road and decide, are you the gifted of the world, or the one who needs the world to bestow its gifts to you? Are you the chosen one, the one who can see beyond the moment, who can feel the depths of life that most others don't, are you the one who has knowledge that transcends flesh and the average mind? Or are you the one who needs that person who has these attribute? Are you the teacher or the student? One day we must choose. We can't continue to call ourselves evolved and on the spiritual path and then whine when someone isn't nice to us and causes us to behave like the student. Oh sure, we will always be fallible, we will always be imperfect, but if you are honest with yourself, you know exactly what I mean. So, one day you will have to choose as well.

Very simply, if we are chosen to be teachers, we must allow our hearts to open, and open and open. And we must realize that those who wound need our compassion. Does that mean we must bite our tongue and not tell the other they are behaving badly, or irresponsibly? No, it means that we must do this, and we do it with grace, a grace that is sometimes delivered with silence, and at other times delivered with words that are sharp or poignantly clear, but wrapped in the swaddling garments of love. Does that mean we must let others take advantage, we must open our doors and let the drug addict sleep on our sofa or we must give the other who is a poor manager of money yet another loan? No, it does not mean this exclusively, for each moment is alive with the action that better serves the lesson at hand. Sometimes we open our doors to a harmless, yet needy individual, and sometimes we don't. Sometimes we lend money if we have it, and sometimes we don't. But whatever choice unfolds, it unravels in the light of wonderful, brilliant, nonjudgmental love.

YOUR COMMENTS ARE VERY WELCOME, JUST CLICK HERE!