You are not responsible for the
versions of you that exist in other people’s minds. This post has been
circulating for eons! Yet, we do get affected, don’t we?
The first thing is, we expect
people to speak and act in a certain way and when they don’t, there is hurt.
Their opinion of you matters! That it should not, is another matter.
Often, we could hear shocking
statements and heavy criticism about us and we don’t plead guilty at all! We
really don’t know from whence they came! The hurt becomes more intense! Reason?
Because the thought is, “how can they ever think this about me?” True?
(Ultimately, we are all looking for love and kindness.)
Ok. But they DO think that way.
It is something within THEM that needs to answer this. THAT is the important
point. It could be the inability to understand you. It could be a fickleness of
their own minds which prefer to listen to some vicious opinions of you from
others and choose to believe them because they WANT to.
You know, I have noticed that if
you already have a problem with someone, you will believe anything negative
said about them just because it endorses what you already feel. You might also
get a vicarious pleasure from hurting vulnerable souls! BUT! Surprise! You are
actually acceding to your own pollution of mind and it may have nothing to do
with that person.
So, at the end of the day, each
one has to be strong and uncaring of what opinion others hold about us.
We all live with our own challenges, our disappointments, our struggle to better ourselves each day. No one wants others who never think of correcting themselves, to opine about you. And it should be like water off a duck’s back. Tagging people is a spiritual taboo.
I am this vast universe, not
somebody ANYBODY can slot into a box. And that means each one IS that vast
expanse. However much you succeed in maligning others, that much is the
pollution YOU have accumulated and YOU need to cleanse.
Buddha was spat at but never lost
his calm for a second. Christ was nailed to the Cross. Human avatar will have
these challenges because this world is both light and dark. You can’t escape
darkness but you can accept it and then proceed towards the light.
Look at the brighter side and
darkness will not affect you. Look at the stories of everyone and understand
that some people have chosen the path of darkness and then, expect only
darkness to be thrown at you. It is natural! Traditionally, it hurts only when this
is done by the people you love. But it is ok. Love also needs no expectations
of a return. Because love is the path of light. It would be foolish to get
sucked into darkness.
Love and light are the two
blessings we all need in our lives.
Surekha Kothari
surekhakothari.wordpress.com
Speakingtree Blog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari
