learn to love the people I don't like

Something rang incredibly clear for me today. Instead of giving my power away to someone behaving irresponsibly, thoughtlessly, or obliviously; I intend to maintain my composure and say a prayer of blessing for them, and send them a note of gratitude or well wishes.

The way for me to overcome my feelings of contempt toward certain individuals begins with a paradigm shift in my own head denouncing the feeling of contempt in the first place. If I find what I look for, then I need to look to the sky instead of to the streets.

I’m discovering this takes a concentrated effort. But it’s even more difficult to learn to forgive those you most wish to fall quietly off of the face of your world. Those select souls possessing few, if any, redeeming qualities – who coincidentally dominate so much of your time, in both action and thought.

I imagine by learning to love them, I in turn free myself of the annoyance, torment, and endless frustration I currently experience while sharing the same air space – yet I struggle to stand up and accept them as they are, embrace our commonalities, and bridge our differences.

Hmmmmm. In-ter-est-ing.