Rocking the Boat

I recently had some very negative and threatening feedback on my blog and would like to share some insights I got from it with you.  I believe what allowed me to interpret this less then favorable feedback differently this time, meaning, without being my old defensive and reactive self-absorbed ego maniac I used to be, is the lessons I’ve learned about myself these past several years.  Being aware of the voices that automatically pop into my head has allowed me to understand how I’ve been with others in the past, a real asshole, as many of us are or can be from time to time.  I call it “Doing the inner work” or developing a practice of meditation and or self-reflection that increases ones’ awareness and clarity, that in return, leads to experiencing powerful intuitive feelings; as if you’ve just been allowed to see the inside joke of your life.  Each of us has the power to directly influence the experiences we have by taking responsibility for our thoughts, words and actions.  In other words, don’t believe anything your mind tells you, question everything.  As I consciously chose not to react to others out of fear, that in my past resulted in a passive-aggressive behavior toward others, allows my best self to respond from an open space of love and compassion.  While this sounds good in theory, is far easier said, than done.  The last thing I want to do with the remaining time I have on this planet is to be distracted and affected by others unhappiness and emotional dramas.  Life is far too short for that.   Nor do I want to give others the impression that I’m some righteous enlightened being of the world and placate them with what would appear as some great theological wisdom.  No, I would rather be an authentic person that calls it the way l see it and if you experience what I share offensive, then tell me and we can have a heartfelt conversation with G.A.S.   Embracing the second agreement “Don’t take anything personally” from Miguel Ruizs’ book “The four Agreements”, has enabled me to resist being offended or angered by what others think and say about me (most of the time).  When you begin to understand and apply Ruizs’ The Four Agreements into your everyday life, you’ll begin to experience profound changes in how you engage with the world and how it responds it return.   Although nothing I wrote in my blog was directly intended for any one person, obviously I touched a nerve in this person and they took it very personally.  Since undertaking this G.A.S. journey, I’ve become aware that I have and will most certainly continue rocking the boat and if someone falls out, then perhaps they weren’t meant to remain in the boat with me.  So, metaphorically speaking, I’ve become the captain of my ship and If you don’t like where this ship is headed, you’re free to get off.  But if you insist on telling me how to sail my boat, your opinion will most likely fall on deaf ears.  Unless of course, I sense of bit of truth, then I’d love to have a G.A.S. conversation with you.