Enlightening Life by Jennifer on February 28, 2013
Occasionally I receive negative feedback from a reader and I appreciate their taking the time to write. Although I read and respond to their emails, my response reflects my belief that every teacher has an audience and they may not be part of mine. I must admit that receiving criticism was a little shocking early in my writing career, but of the millions who read my newsletters and messages each week, there are bound to be a few people who do not like something and who will voice their displeasure.
That said, the negative comments about the recent “My Way or the Highway” message I received from a reader this week were a little surprising, especially since hers was the only critical comment. But she did make some interesting points about negativity, seeing people as divine, looking for the best in people, all of which we should do. However, I have learned, as have many of you, that no matter how much I want to connect with the divine in everyone, I have to deal with the human and I ignore that aspect of them at my peril. The writer criticized me for being too negative and insensitive to others’ feelings and not giving everyone the benefit of seeing them in their divinity. I disagreed with her because I do that with everyone, but I also know that I also have to pay attention to the reality of what they are doing and saying, no matter how much I want to see and hear something else.
When we see people in their highest light we give them the gift of unconditional love and acceptance and that is a wonderful gift. But whether they take the gift and use it to change who they are or how they behave is another thing. And we have to be realistic. When someone slaps you in the face you can turn the other cheek or you can walk away. I spent years of my life turning the other cheek until I discovered that it was easier and safer to love some people at a distance. And when I learned to love and respect myself enough to know that it didn’t matter how nice, loving and accommodating I was with someone, if they could not receive that gift and express the divine side of themselves there was the potential for me to endure a lot of heartache.
I have been blessed with some wonderful relationships, friends and connections in my life. I have also been blessed with some cruel, mean, vindictive people who were hell bent on creating drama, chaos and pain in my life until I learned to connect with their divinity up close but maintain my distance from the human. While they are all equally divine, their human expression was very different. Yes, I did attract these teachers and continued to do that until I learned to see them as they were, not as I wish they could be, which has been one of my biggest life lessons. While I am blessed with the ability to see the divine in others, I have learned to also respect their humanity and see them as they are, not as I imagine they could be, when they are a little ‘less’ human and a little ‘more’ divine.
And I think that is particularly difficult for those who can energetically read people and can see their different aspects. Sometimes we forget that while an energy is within someone, they do not always choose to express it. While everyone has the potential to be good, loving and kind, they do not always express that side of themselves and that is their choice. I have to honor that in them or I will experience the consequences.
As the writer who criticized the article wrote, “Life is really not all about struggles, getting through torturous shifts, and problems. Life can be bliss”. And she is right, it can be bliss but we have bliss once we know how to get beyond the human side, which is about struggle, getting through torturous shifts and problems. Some people choose that for their lives and we have no power over their choices. One of our most challenging lessons is to accept others as they are and then make our own choices accordingly.
Everyone is divine, we all have the same source connection and we are all connected to each other. But each of us expresses the balance of human and divine in different ways. Seeing someone as divine and ignoring what their human aspect is doing is, to be honest, just silly. And those who insist that the world is full of sweetness and light and everything else can be ignored are not living in reality.
The world is a wonderful place and there is so much good in people. But there are those who will be a challenge and we have to decide how much pain and drama we will allow in our lives and go from there. Give everyone the gift of knowing that they are divine but remember to pay attention to what the human is doing. As my friend Rhonda Smith of the Awakening Center says, ‘Tell the truth and learn to duck.’
Copyright (c) 2013 by Jennifer Hoffman. All rights reserved. You may translate, quote, copy or link to this article as long as you include the author name and a working link to this website.
Occasionally I receive negative feedback from a reader and I appreciate their taking the time to write. Although I read and respond to their emails, my response reflects my belief that every teacher has an audience and they may not be part of mine. I must admit that receiving criticism was a little shocking early in my writing career, but of the millions who read my newsletters and messages each week, there are bound to be a few people who do not like something and who will voice their displeasure.
That said, the negative comments about the recent “My Way or the Highway” message I received from a reader this week were a little surprising, especially since hers was the only critical comment. But she did make some interesting points about negativity, seeing people as divine, looking for the best in people, all of which we should do. However, I have learned, as have many of you, that no matter how much I want to connect with the divine in everyone, I have to deal with the human and I ignore that aspect of them at my peril. The writer criticized me for being too negative and insensitive to others’ feelings and not giving everyone the benefit of seeing them in their divinity. I disagreed with her because I do that with everyone, but I also know that I also have to pay attention to the reality of what they are doing and saying, no matter how much I want to see and hear something else.
When we see people in their highest light we give them the gift of unconditional love and acceptance and that is a wonderful gift. But whether they take the gift and use it to change who they are or how they behave is another thing. And we have to be realistic. When someone slaps you in the face you can turn the other cheek or you can walk away. I spent years of my life turning the other cheek until I discovered that it was easier and safer to love some people at a distance. And when I learned to love and respect myself enough to know that it didn’t matter how nice, loving and accommodating I was with someone, if they could not receive that gift and express the divine side of themselves there was the potential for me to endure a lot of heartache.
I have been blessed with some wonderful relationships, friends and connections in my life. I have also been blessed with some cruel, mean, vindictive people who were hell bent on creating drama, chaos and pain in my life until I learned to connect with their divinity up close but maintain my distance from the human. While they are all equally divine, their human expression was very different. Yes, I did attract these teachers and continued to do that until I learned to see them as they were, not as I wish they could be, which has been one of my biggest life lessons. While I am blessed with the ability to see the divine in others, I have learned to also respect their humanity and see them as they are, not as I imagine they could be, when they are a little ‘less’ human and a little ‘more’ divine.
And I think that is particularly difficult for those who can energetically read people and can see their different aspects. Sometimes we forget that while an energy is within someone, they do not always choose to express it. While everyone has the potential to be good, loving and kind, they do not always express that side of themselves and that is their choice. I have to honor that in them or I will experience the consequences.
As the writer who criticized the article wrote, “Life is really not all about struggles, getting through torturous shifts, and problems. Life can be bliss”. And she is right, it can be bliss but we have bliss once we know how to get beyond the human side, which is about struggle, getting through torturous shifts and problems. Some people choose that for their lives and we have no power over their choices. One of our most challenging lessons is to accept others as they are and then make our own choices accordingly.
Everyone is divine, we all have the same source connection and we are all connected to each other. But each of us expresses the balance of human and divine in different ways. Seeing someone as divine and ignoring what their human aspect is doing is, to be honest, just silly. And those who insist that the world is full of sweetness and light and everything else can be ignored are not living in reality.
The world is a wonderful place and there is so much good in people. But there are those who will be a challenge and we have to decide how much pain and drama we will allow in our lives and go from there. Give everyone the gift of knowing that they are divine but remember to pay attention to what the human is doing. As my friend Rhonda Smith of the Awakening Center says, ‘Tell the truth and learn to duck.’
Copyright (c) 2013 by Jennifer Hoffman. All rights reserved. You may translate, quote, copy or link to this article as long as you include the author name and a working link to this website.
- See more at: http://enlighteninglife.com/see-the-divine-deal-with-the-human-2/#sthash.l2hsmZyf.dpuf
Occasionally I receive negative feedback from a reader and I appreciate their taking the time to write. Although I read and respond to their emails, my response reflects my belief that every teacher has an audience and they may not be part of mine. I must admit that receiving criticism was a little shocking early in my writing career, but of the millions who read my newsletters and messages each week, there are bound to be a few people who do not like something and who will voice their displeasure.
That said, the negative comments about the recent “My Way or the Highway” message I received from a reader this week were a little surprising, especially since hers was the only critical comment. But she did make some interesting points about negativity, seeing people as divine, looking for the best in people, all of which we should do. However, I have learned, as have many of you, that no matter how much I want to connect with the divine in everyone, I have to deal with the human and I ignore that aspect of them at my peril. The writer criticized me for being too negative and insensitive to others’ feelings and not giving everyone the benefit of seeing them in their divinity. I disagreed with her because I do that with everyone, but I also know that I also have to pay attention to the reality of what they are doing and saying, no matter how much I want to see and hear something else.
When we see people in their highest light we give them the gift of unconditional love and acceptance and that is a wonderful gift. But whether they take the gift and use it to change who they are or how they behave is another thing. And we have to be realistic. When someone slaps you in the face you can turn the other cheek or you can walk away. I spent years of my life turning the other cheek until I discovered that it was easier and safer to love some people at a distance. And when I learned to love and respect myself enough to know that it didn’t matter how nice, loving and accommodating I was with someone, if they could not receive that gift and express the divine side of themselves there was the potential for me to endure a lot of heartache.
I have been blessed with some wonderful relationships, friends and connections in my life. I have also been blessed with some cruel, mean, vindictive people who were hell bent on creating drama, chaos and pain in my life until I learned to connect with their divinity up close but maintain my distance from the human. While they are all equally divine, their human expression was very different. Yes, I did attract these teachers and continued to do that until I learned to see them as they were, not as I wish they could be, which has been one of my biggest life lessons. While I am blessed with the ability to see the divine in others, I have learned to also respect their humanity and see them as they are, not as I imagine they could be, when they are a little ‘less’ human and a little ‘more’ divine.
And I think that is particularly difficult for those who can energetically read people and can see their different aspects. Sometimes we forget that while an energy is within someone, they do not always choose to express it. While everyone has the potential to be good, loving and kind, they do not always express that side of themselves and that is their choice. I have to honor that in them or I will experience the consequences.
As the writer who criticized the article wrote, “Life is really not all about struggles, getting through torturous shifts, and problems. Life can be bliss”. And she is right, it can be bliss but we have bliss once we know how to get beyond the human side, which is about struggle, getting through torturous shifts and problems. Some people choose that for their lives and we have no power over their choices. One of our most challenging lessons is to accept others as they are and then make our own choices accordingly.
Everyone is divine, we all have the same source connection and we are all connected to each other. But each of us expresses the balance of human and divine in different ways. Seeing someone as divine and ignoring what their human aspect is doing is, to be honest, just silly. And those who insist that the world is full of sweetness and light and everything else can be ignored are not living in reality.
The world is a wonderful place and there is so much good in people. But there are those who will be a challenge and we have to decide how much pain and drama we will allow in our lives and go from there. Give everyone the gift of knowing that they are divine but remember to pay attention to what the human is doing. As my friend Rhonda Smith of the Awakening Center says, ‘Tell the truth and learn to duck.’
Copyright (c) 2013 by Jennifer Hoffman. All rights reserved. You may translate, quote, copy or link to this article as long as you include the author name and a working link to this website.
- See more at: http://enlighteninglife.com/see-the-divine-deal-with-the-human-2/#sthash.l2hsmZyf.dpuf
By on February 28, 2013
