LOVE IS THE ONLY WEAPON

LOVE IS THE ONLY WEAPON - SHARING FROM THE HEART

Many times in life challenges come over our path or we are deeply hurt by people. Many times it feel challenging to forgive, forget and to move on.

After a discussion on people that uses other people's goodheartedness without any conscience, a friend shared this beautiful story with me, which I want to share with you today as it meant so much to me. Once upon a time there was a wise man who insisted that to live well, we had to be forgiving and thankful for all of life. One day, a traveller came to him and asked, "How can I be positive? Nothing is going right in my life. I have been badly hurt by people I trusted, and now I want justice!" The wise man asked the traveller, "What would you do to those who have hurt you?" The traveller replied, "I will ruin their business..I'd.." and with all the pain and sorrow pouring from his heart, he then cried "Can you help me to get revenge?" "Yes," said the wise man. "First, I want you to tear a branch off that tree over there." The traveller readily went to the tree and twisted off a large branch. "There you are! What is the second thing?" The wise man smiled and said "Now, put it back." The traveller stood starring at the wise man and said, "I can't do that." "No?" asked the wise man. "So then remember this. It is very easy to wound and destroy, but it is more difficult to repair the damage that has been done."

The moral of the story is that, in our daily lives, many times we want to take revenge or have justice on people who have hurt us. Although the tree will go on to grow another branch and bear more fruits, with human relationships it is a little more difficult to withdraw words of hurt or to rewind actions where we hurt other people. Thus, the virtue to 'THINK BEFORE WE THINK and ACT' is important and in that moment, to take a mental step back and PAUSE, to take a few moments of contemplation before we act, judge or punish others. In such moments, the only thought that will bring peace of mind is to learn from the lesson on a spiritual level, to let go, to forgive and to move on (and yes, in some cases let the law run its course). I have learned many such lessons in my life and it is only over the past years that I have learned the true value of this gift, however, do that for the SELF as it brings inner healing - don't do it for the other person.

The journey of life will always have cycles of hurt, pain, disappointment, hurt, pain, disappointment - after time one realize that there is no end to these cycles as it is part of life. If we nurture the negative thoughts that so easily want to root in our minds and hearts during such times, it will likely make us sick rather than the other party (and I am talking from experience when I become temporary paralyzed some years ago after a severe anxiety attack after a long period of intense work stress and hurt coming from people I deeply trusted). Revenge, judgement and justice only creates upheaval, peacelessness and restlessness in the mind, it wants to break the heart and inhibit any expression of goodness in the soul, which could help the healing process.

Learn the lesson and don't look back. Put your foot in the path and opt for a positive direction of actions. Whatever follows, the soul has made a decision and that one positive step forward form the imprint of all that follows. The same principle applies if that single step forward is a negative decision....After that single positive step forward comes all the intricacies and joys of traveling this journey of life, the patience and even the humor and the beauty of new companionships that manifest. Remember: LOVE is the ONLY WEAPON....with love, Christa Bonnet