I've been smarting all night over a deep wound. As with most wounds, it was unexpected. Yet, it happened, and now hours later, I'm still dealing with the pain.
Why was it so painful? In a perfect world, the people we love would cheer us on in kind and loving ways. In a perfect world, we would work together to resolve tough challenges and problems, and as we worked together we would be mindful and cognizant of each other's strengths and shortfalls. Yet, it's not a perfect world.
Sometimes people simply stab you with their words and actions--they hurt you deeply and those wounds cause you a lot of pain. When that happens, you have many choices with regard to how you react, and that depends on multiple factors. I don't believe there's one right way, but I do believe that returning the hurt is not the way to act.
So as I heal my wounds, I am cognizant that we will be hurt now and then, and when we are hurt we have to try to figure out why that happened and how we'll move forward. For me, I'll cheer myself on to do the work I believe to be right and good and I'll steer my lifeship in the direction of good, supportive, loving people who are ready and willing to work together to lift each other up in honest, productive ways to do the good work possible in life. We can't let the detractors who hurt us take us down. Onward.