Gifts of the enemy.........................

If you are in the mood to challenge yourself, pick up a copy of the book Observing Sprite, By: Peter Rhodes. This is what I just finished reading from the book:

"The Work says that the people that can really help us are those whom we do not like. We can wonder from a Work point of view, "Why is it that I don't like those people? Why are my feelings about them so negative?"... One way is to observe a person you do not like and try to find a similar state within yourself. Imagine yourself in the shoes of that person and search for a time when you felt that way, looked that way, or spoke that way. If you see that person doing something that you feel you would never do, look for it in yourself. Look for something similar, like emotion, thought, or habit, that perhaps expresses itself in a different way. Your dislike is showing you something about yourself. It is a mirror for you." (NOTE: "The Work" is a program of spiritual practice.)

How easy it is to see ourselves in a light that we admire. No so easy to admit we can also be capable of the very things we despise. What do I do when I hear someone complaining about the way things are? Complain to (my) Mister about their complaining of course! Just because I am careful about who I complain to doesn't make it okay to do so.

Another thing that lights a fire in me are people that absolutely, positively know EVERYTHING there is to know about a given subject, have nothing to learn from you, and are quick to make it known that their way is the ONLY way something should be done. Yet, when it comes to my business, and the way I insist on things being done in regards to my business (as well as other select areas of my life) I could be a poster child for the previous statement.

To just sit with the idea that the very things that drive me bonkers are the things I most need to address within myself was a light bulb moment for me. To invite this notion in was growth, as the first step to change is acknowledging the need for it.

What are your triggers? What negative things would you love to rid the world of? How do these negatives play out in your relationships? Which ones might you be able to work on?

Just a little food for thought...Take with a grain of salt, or sugar coat it, but let me know what you think after you digest it.