Take a step back and find the lesson......

Impulse can be our own worst enemy. It can lead us into the abyss guided by ego and pride. Why not reach the edge of the precipice and rather than taking the step; allow them both to go first? Everything that occurs in our lives is not by accident. Some might say that our free will is the creator of each event. I believe our free will guide us into the path (whichever may be), but we can choose from at least two of them. The path is pre-determined.

This morning I had this vision: there is this black woman wearing a dark blue skirt, white blouse, and sandals. She is sitting on a wooden chair with a pot filled with corn between her legs. This is her daily ritual. She is singing and stirring the corn with some sort of wooden spoon. She doesn't have a worry in the world. Chickens gather all around her for the next meal. She grabs a handful of corn and throws it at them. Some will eat while others will play with the corn and discard it. Some will come back for seconds while others will not appreciate the effort. Some will be forever grateful and others will see her as just another "meal ticket." No matter their responses, she goes about her daily routine without worrying about the results. It is not up to her to decide what the "chickens" will do with the "gift" that she has been given at that particular moment. It is her job to feed them, to teach them to be grateful, and to swallow her pride when they reject her corn.

Our daily lives can be seen in this context. Are we throwing corn at others for the sole purpose of feeding our own ego? Or do we really want to feed others despite the results? What happens when we are rejected, offended, or abandoned? Take a step back and rather than lashing out with a vengeance; find the lesson. Take a step back and rather than accusing that person of not appreciating your "kindness," find the lesson. Kindness is giving and expecting NOTHING in return. Take a step back and put yourself in their shoes; and you would have learned another lesson, an important tool in your arsenal, and another handful of corn to feed others.