As is common with life in general, I’ve met many who tried to manipulate me into basically act the way they want me to act, like I’m a robot they want to remote control. And of course those people come in all kinds — relatives, “friends,” former classmates, people I’ve once worked with, and exes.
I’ve met those who have talked to me all the while puffing out their chests. Their claim is that they’re giving me advice and treating me a certain way “because they care about me.”
Wow, if only I had a nickel every time a person told me that or something along those lines. I’d have solid residual income from that alone!
If I’m not doing or saying something in accordance with their expectations of me, their usual reaction is for them to hurl several negative adjectives at me so I can bend to their will, all the while accusing me of hurting them.
But I can’t hold a grudge against them – at least, I try not to. Instead, all I can do is pray for them. It relaxes me when I pray, and through the process, I’m also reminded that more often than not, it’s their problems, and they’re simple projecting their issues onto me.
If a personal relationship has come to a head, then it’s best to part ways and hope for the best. Too bad the same can’t really be done for professional relationships. Actually, the worst way, in some of those cases, is to burn bridges because one never knows when they’ll need to cross it again. Because God don’t like ugly.
“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” — Dr. Wayne Dyer