SELF DEFENSE FOR THE TENDER HEARTED

    Many spiritual people are very sensitive, and when others insult them or treat them badly, they tend to feel very hurt and become sad rather than mad. This is not a bad thing, and certainly those of us who aspire to something higher should not be flying off the handle or attacking others with an angry attitude. But this does not mean that you have to be the worlds doormat. It is not healthy to take the brunt of others cruelty and never speak out in your own defense. When we do this, it can cause us to feel very uneasy within and begin to sour our perception of the world. We certainly do not want to become brooding souls with a downcast disposition. We also do not want to become angry or cynical individuals who are quick to cut others down with the sharp blade of our words. But we do need to find a balance, we need to know when it is okay to speak our minds and defend ourselves against unnecessary attacks and cruelty at the hands of others. Sometimes this defense may be a word of higher wisdom that completely obliterates the ignorance of someone who is just spewing nonsensical ideologies or points of view. Yet at other times, we may have to rise up and meet a challenge with confidence and let someone know that we are not easy prey for their bullying and harassment.

    There maybe times when we need to end a relationship or walk away from a situation that is causing us harm. It is true, that love is the universal law. But I do not believe that the great Divine Spirit wants us to be sheep on the slaughtering block of the world. We all have a right to peace in our lives, we all have a right to feel good about who we are and we all have a right to be excepted for the individuals that we have become. No one else has the right to cross those personal lines and attack things like the way we look, what we believe, how we live our lives, what we do for a living, the color of our skin or what ever else that they may find fair game to criticize. This does not mean that we are to become emotional vigilantes and start blasting people with our words at the drop of a hat. It means we need to be patient, balanced and use wisdom in every circumstance. Many times it is best to enter into peace talks at first, and this will quickly alleviate the situation. But we also must learn to know when enough is enough. We must know when it is time to call out our inner forces. Never attack, only defend. And if someone asks for forgiveness, forgive them. When the problem has been vanquished, be grateful and show kindness to all. You never want to become the aggressor who tries to dominate others. When defending ourselves and sticking up for our own honor, the objective is to always restore peace and balance. Mutual respect is always the most important thing; you need to show it to others, you also deserve to receive it for yourself.