Identifying Teachers

“Enemies turned into friends,

because these disturbances and

antagonistic forces have

becomeour teachers’. “ - unknown

We run into them all over. They are unavoidable and always will be. They may be friends, acquaintances, strangers, and even family. We recognize them easily- they are seas pools of negativity, dark clouds follow them wherever they go, sometimes they suck the air right out of the room; but contrary to popular belief, these people are potentially very significant. Individuals such as this could be providing a very valuable lesson you must learn, if you choose to.

In observing such characters- we may be able to take in lessons on how not to be or how not to act- these people can be a great example of who we do not want to be. A glimpse of their subpar behavior can be a great motivator to kick up your character and morality a notch or two, or just rekindle your stance on the importance of what it is to be GOOD in nature.

These “teachers” can also give us valuable lessons on how to deal with anger (refer to a previous blog entitled GRAIN OF SALT). But most importantly, these characters can always teach the valuable lessons of forgiveness, which I believe is one of the essential key factors in the development of the human condition. It involves the removal of the ego and overzealous self-thought and sending healing and positive vibes to those who have in our opinions, violated some common code of ethic and trespassed against us. The hardest and most valuable lesson- to remove yourself from the role of the victim, and choose to see a bigger picture of humanity. Everyone deserves to be loved, and people who we feel may not deserve it. Forgiveness takes any power they have to harm you, whether it was the intention or not.

You never know what someone else is going through. “Be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle.” –Aesop. This doesn’t give people the right to act however they please, or give them an excuse, but it is a thought to ponder when interacting with others. Everyone perceives life through the filters they have created from their own experiences.  It is a reminder to not take everything that comes our way so personally. We have all acted ugly at some point or another, and in my experience I have always excelled more so as a person when met with positivity, rather than an adverse counter reaction of the same negative tone I was giving out. We are here to help one another, and as my Oma always used to tell me, often those who appear the least loveable, need it the most. I’ll admit that I don’t always like being reminded of that, but she has a very wise point. Once you choose to react differently to these individuals, there is a fair chance that they may make a change for the better. So at the end of the day it’s wisest to give thanks to our “teachers”, if you choose to acknowledge them as such.

By Jenny Brochu

Hope everyone has a wonderful day! Hope it is filled with positivity and productiveness.