No
Offence But ...
One
of the first local vernacular sentences my daughter learned at
her new Australian school was "No offence but ... ".
Of course the but always meant "I'm going to say it
anyway". What that phrase also contained was the assumption
that offence is the automatic response to critical comments. "No
offence but ... ".
Why
do we assume offence will be taken? And if we are prone to taking
offence in our lives, what is that all about?
When
another person hurts you, you're really seeing the hurt inside
that person. People who hurt others are often subconsciously trying
to alleviate their own pain.
When
you think of those people who consciously go out of their way
to hurt you, create love instead of offence. Loving others doesn't
mean that you approve of their offensive ways or comments. Rather,
it's simply a way of preventing bitterness from taking root in
you and destroying you from the inside out.
Taking
offence is hard work ... I mean you have to work at taking offence.
Isn't it easier to have the ability to love and make it more powerful
than the pain of an offence.
An
offence only hurts if it hits a bell that rings something in your
belief about yourself - so it hurts. But creating bitterness about
it destroys. That is why choosing to love and forgive gives you
more mileage.
Love
is the most powerful feeling that you can ever experience ...
stronger than hate ... stronger than pain.
Through
love, you have the opportunity to see the "offender"
differently and you can empower yourself by choosing to forgive
them. Forgive them, not their behaviour.
To
be able to love someone past the hurt, first evaluate their intentions.
People are not perfect and sometimes do things they don't mean
to do. In those instances, be gracious and humble enough to accept
people just the way they are.
There
are some people who are hurtful on purpose. Those people are the
hardest to love, but they are the ones that need the most love.
Instead of stepping down to their level and engaging in immature
behavior, choose to love them anyway.
Choosing
to love others regardless of how they treat you is empowering.
Free your heart from the chains of bitterness that try to trap
you. No offence but ... what would happen if you got off your
high horse and didn't take offence?
Self-Reflection
Questions:
1.
Why do people hurt others?
2.
Why is it important to choose love over hate?
3.
What tools can you use to overlook an offence?
It's time to grow your spiritual home with active work and
financial support. The New Thought
Centre is a non-profit organisation that depends on you.
Become involved - volunteer and/or practice the abundance
of circulation.
Financial donations (even a few dollars a week) help
us build more for you with a community of like-minded
people who make a difference in your world.
Giving
generously is solidly based in Universal Principles. When
you release your thoughts of lack and scarcity, you are
creating a space for the Universe to fill abundantly. Do
you only give if you receive first?
__________________
AND
ANOTHER THING ...
14 Simple Ways to Add Happiness to Your Day
Michael
Beckwith wrote a lovely line "Boredom is the energy that
it takes to stop creativity". Every day has its ups and downs
and sometimes you might find what you think are more downs than
ups! Rather than sitting around, saying you are bored and waiting
around for things to change, you can make an active creative effort
to add happiness to your day.
Sometimes
you need to create a big effort but most of the time all you have
to do is something subtle and simple to completely change how
your day turns out.
Here are
some easy ways to add happiness to your day:
1. Watch
a movie. Curl up with a big bucket of popcorn and your favorite
movie. Leave all your worries behind you as you engage in an activity
that you're sure to love.
2. Watch
your kids or loved ones. Instead of focusing on yourself, take
some time to place your attention on the people you love. Simply
observe them and think about how much you appreciate the fact
that they're in your life.
3. Call
your best friend. A phone call with a close friend is a great
way to pass some time in a way that is comfortable and familiar
to you. You can think about old times or enjoy planning something
fun for the future.
4. Go
out for ice cream. While it's not a good idea to indulge all the
time, it's definitely okay once in a while. Grab your favorite
treat whether it's ice cream, a smoothie, or even Starbucks.
5. Enjoy
nature. Take in nature by watching the world around you. You can
do this by going on a nature hike or even just observing the beauty
of the stars at night.
6. Take
a hot bath. This is a great way to bring happiness to your day,
especially if you've found the day stressful. Light some scented
candles to include the benefits of aromatherapy to the relaxing
warmth of the bath.
7. Play
a sport. Gather your friends and have a friendly competition.
Sports are a fun way to get some exercise and relieve stress.
8. Take
a nap. An afternoon nap may be just what you're looking for. Even
15 minutes of shut-eye can help you feel more energized and happy.
9. Snuggle
with your partner. Take the time to appreciate your partner and
snuggle up for some couple-time. It's a great way to reconnect,
especially if you've been really busy.
10. Be
lazy. Sometimes you might not feel as happy as you'd like because
you expect too much from yourself. Take some time to simply be
lazy, with no responsibilities, and give yourself time to recoup.
11. Listen
to your favorite song. Your favorite song is bound to brighten
up your day. Bring out your iPod or music player and start cranking
up the tunes.
12. Make
casual conversation. Strike up some lively conversations with
strangers. If you're friendly and happy towards them, they'll
likely be the same to you.
13. Be
thankful. Reflect on all the things that you're grateful for in
your life and write them down. You might be surprised at how long
your list is! Sometimes changing your focus to what's going right
in your life is all you need to turn that frown upside down.
14. Enjoy
time with your pets. Pets are part of the family too. Snuggle
up with your pet for some quality time together.
Always
remember that the list is endless when it comes to ways to brighten
your day. Be creative and try new activities that you might like.
Most importantly, seek a way to enjoy each moment, and your life
will be filled with new happiness.
