ANOTHER LESSON IN MINDFULNESS
I’ve been struggling with a personal issue that come up in a professional situation lately. Someone has accused of me acting in a hurtful way and said some scathing things about it.
My dilemna is this: I feel I had good reason to be massively disappointed in this person’s behavior—but did not want to confront them with it. It was not the right time or place, nor did I see what could be gained from venting right now.
Silence has followed. Did I do the right thing? Should I have pointed out all the things that bothered me and stated those harsh truths? Sit and fume? Complain to my friends? Or do I continue to keep my mouth shut? My heart turns this over and over and is not still.
Today another friend gave me a hand-out from her karate class. It’s called “Responding to Attacks” and I found my answer there.
Because this material is part of Tokyo Joe’s Studio of Martial Arts, I will only quote the final strategy for warding off attacks. It says, “…it is precisely when you’re fully aware of your capability to destroy an attacker, that you have the responsibility to refrain from doing so.”
This feels so right in my heart. This person has their own path to walk. It’s obvious that our paths must part, at least for awhile. It’s time for me to let go of what I could or should do, to let go of thinking I need to defend myself, and get back to my work.
