Furry Bitterness

Today, let's talk about bitterness.

Each of us has a moment that provides us with an opportunity to feel loved or betrayed. For example, you're driving down the road and your car gets a flat tire. For a fleeting moment many of us wonder if the universe is conspiring against us. It happens. Your tire going flat may have been nothing more than a stray screw lying in the road. It may have been a little more expected because you knew that your tread was worn down but you can't afford new tires. Whatever the underlying reason you suddenly feel that the timing was cosmically bad and you think to yourself, "This couldn't happen at a worse possible time."

Stop right there.

What makes you think that there's any timing involved, at all? Because you need to get where you're going? You have more important things to take care of than that person behind you who may have ended up with the screw in their tire?

In that moment you have an opportunity to think to yourself, "I'm glad that I'm the one that got the screw because it could have been worse. I can handle this. The universe knew that." You then have a chance to just deal with the problem, whether that means changing the tire, quickly, and getting back on the road or calling for help (if you have a handy friend or relative or some kind of "roadside assistance service").

Personally, I've spent too much energy and time looking at these kinds of situations and thinking to myself, "This couldn't suck any worse. I deserve better." That kind of resentment leads to a bitterness that makes me sad and angry. I don't want to do that any more, do you?

Bitterness is a habitual pattern. What do I mean? I will explain.

We have two new female kittens in our family, now. They're both very cute and, like all kittens can be, are fairly constantly asking for attention. One, the little black kitten I mentioned in my previous post, jumps in my lap and starts pawing at my face and hands, nibbling and generally acting a little crazy. The other, a younger fluffy grey kitten, is currently sitting in my lap, as I write this, purring loudly and "kneeding" me with her paws. They both want the same thing, affection. However, because of their differences in how they ask for it my reaction can vary. If I'm in a particularly good mood, I'll generally give them a scratch, stroke them and show them some attention. If I do that, their reactions are the same. They purr, calm down and probably fall asleep in my lap. It's sublime. However, if I'm not in a particularly good mood then the black kitty will usually irritate me and I'll dump her on the floor. That's not her fault, it's mine. If that happens over and over then I can become bitter towards her. I allow a pattern to develop that can ruin the moment.

Many of the situations in our lives are like that. If the situation is gentle to us we're gentle back. If it is harsh with us we respond in kind. However, we have an opportunity to provide the same response to both kinds of situations and get a memorable and sublime result.

Today, I encourage all of you to look at just one seemingly negative incident as a little black kitten. Ridiculous as it sounds, it may help you take a different perspective and treat the situation with a measure of tenderness that will get you a significantly different outcome, both emotionally and practically.

You may find that you start doing it enough to develop a pattern. Won't that be nice?

Love and light, dear ones. Here's my quote for the day. It's from Mother Theresa and is perfecty appropriate.

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world."