Being Your Own person

Such good comments from people yesterday, it seems that we all agree that we should accept people as we find them. It is as I said yesterday, the way to meet some wonderful people. It is good that there are so many people always willing to offer a helping hand or some advice. But beware.


An old lady friend of mine tells the story of the day she was returning from the library. She saw three young school boys in their uniforms and with there school bags. They were each stretching to reach the bell of the front door of the house. One had a stick and was trying to use this. She thought, “Mothers, what are they coming to, do they not realise their son is at the door?” She goes across and rings the bell. The three young boys promptly say, “Run lady she will be out in a minute and she is always angry.” Off they sped jumping the garden fence as they went.

There is a story of the Master. One day he is teaching his students and he found himself on the receiving end of a fierce outburst of abuse from a bystander, who was for some reason very angry.

The master listened patiently while the stranger vented his rage, and then he said to the students and to the stranger, "If someone gives a gift to another person, who then chooses to decline it, tell me, who would then own the gift? The giver or the person who refuses to accept the gift?"

"The giver," said one student after a little thought. "Any fool can see that," added the angry stranger.

"Then it follows, does it not," said the master, "Whenever a person tries to abuse us, or to unload their anger on us, we can each choose to decline or to accept the abuse; whether to make it ours or not. By our personal response to the abuse from another, we can choose who owns and keeps the bad feelings."

Or to put it in much simpler language we do not need to accept the invitation to be miserable.

Thanks once again for the great feedback I hope today you only meet people who invite you to feel joy. So glad to hear Jerry say that he is getting through his difficult period an invitation to joy indeed.


This blog is linked to my other. Be Still