A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a
precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another
traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag
to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious
stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so
without hesitation.
The traveler left rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew
the stone was worth enough to give him security for a
lifetime.
A few days later, he came back to return the stone to the
wise woman. “I’ve been thinking,” he said. “I know how
valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that
you can give me something even more precious. Give me what
you have within you that enabled you to give me this
stone.”
Sometimes it’s not the wealth you have, but what’s inside
of you that others need.
~anon.~
Here’s a raw understanding of the intrinsic worth of things:
There are life-changing moments and then there are LIFE-CHANGING MOMENTS.
Being arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping and then facing a possible 20-year sentence was not something I intentionally wished to happen.
But sometimes you only change and grow when your life or your freedom is on the line.
You learn to improvise and to use your intuition the minute you realize that there is no cavalry coming to the rescue. Here’s the story of the judge facing the executioner:
When you come from a dysfunctional or violent family, you are fragile and can easily drop off the deep end of life. Criticism is something which is reacted to violently or by walking around with your imaginary tail between your legs.
Everyone at some time is vulnerable to manipulation by a “loved” one or a manipulative person or group. While most do not end up in a religious cult or following some violent, radical underground group, I joined the former.
In a recent episode of Boston Legal, the lawyer took advantage of a woman who he was to defend and engage in sex in the office. The scene was down-played for the remainder of the show, but what kind of message was it sending to the viewing public…exploit the weak and vulnerable?
Wherever you are in your life – the master or the slave position – remember that some day without doubt you will be vulnerable and the master may use you shamelessly.
Yes, be understanding and respectful of people living in darkness and searching for the light. Though they may seem powerless and easily exploited, there is a karmic law at work. Eventually the tide will turn on you in unexpected and tragic ways.
“Merely through the constant need to ward off, one can become weak enough to be unable to defend oneself any longer.”
~Friedrich Nietzsche~
Don't Let Anger Possess You!
Feeling traumatize by a parent in childhood can leave a lingering, festering wound that never heals.
We are defenseless against a verbal or physical brute when small, but eventually we reach an age when we challenge the oppressor to a fight or at least a reason for their aggression. The parent either relents or ignores you from that point onward.
I often heard people say, “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” Not so. Being ignored by a parent or parents is more painful than a daily belt lashing.
The judge finds the defendant guilty as charged. For the sake of inner peace of the victim, the judge rules clemency. Parents do the best they can which isn’t always much.
“I would rather die standing up, than live life on my knees.” ~Emilano Zapata~
Amen. If you have been living your life as a sacrificial lamb and a victim, it is never too late to take the reigns of your life back from those who could never have your best – notice I said best – interest in mind.
You were meant to be you, not someone’s caricature of you. Draw your line in the sand once and for all. Become the divine creation you were always meant to be.
A man complains because he has no shoes until he meets a man with no feet. I have that sentiment in motivational chatter again and again, but whatever your tear-jerking rap about “Poor me!” may be, there is always a path to the finish line.
It is believed by politicians and do-gooders that legislation can change minds and root out meanness, bias and blatant bigotry. It can’t. We mock and deride what we don’t understand or haven’t experienced…and that’s an awful lot.
I came across Nick Vujicic about a year ago. He was in a video featuring his God-inspired vibrancy and determination to do much more than just survive. He lives to inspire and wipe out all excuses for accepting failure with grace.
