Ok, several times in the same day, I ran across the same message in unexpected places. That means I need to pay heed. “Be nice to the %$^&%$s anyway!”
First, I read it on a blog feed–sorry, but I wasn’t able to locate it again or I’d link it. The blogger was telling the story of a harrowing taxi ride, where someone cut them off and nearly ran them off the road. The offending driver was screaming angrily, as if he’d been wronged. The driver of the blogger’s taxi smiled and waved.
When questioned, basically the taxi driver said that being angry did not help the situation, and he assumed the offensive driver already had enough issues. He wished him well, knowing the man needed it.
Once was out of my own mouth! I was telling someone else that another’s behavior was not their problem to solve. What is someone being a jerk but flaking out in a way that has nothing to do with you?
Finally, here’s one of the places I saw it quoted from a Facebook frined, expressed beautifully in this quote from Abraham/Hicks:
“Some of those people in your life do not deserve your good thoughts. In other words, “They are bad. They are evil. They are wrong! They are inappropriate. They do not deserve your good thoughts,” and you stubbornly are not going to give them any. They may not deserve your good thoughts. But you do. You deserve your good thoughts about them. This is what the Art of Allowing is. It’s allowing my own Well-being. ”
Excerpted from the workshop in San Rafael, CA on Friday, March 9th, 2001
Third time’s the charm, man. The lesson I take from this is simple:
- Other people’s unpleasantness is NOT my problem to solve.
- Disagreeable folks generate their own karma. I don’t have to execute it for them.
- While someone’s behavior may or may not warrant my goodwill and warm thoughts, I deserve to feel goodwill and enjoy pleasant thoughts. It’s not about what they deserve. It’s about what I want and deserve.
So the next time someone is a wanker to ya, think about this…
photo credit: Maccio Capatonda
Possibly Related
Posted on February 14, 2009 at 2:18 pm in: Good Karma
