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Living the Golden Rule, Part 4 ~ Being the Love You Long to Receive
If all is either love or hate, then most people choose to receive love. Often, though, people become the hatred they claim they hate – call names, ridicule, bully, put down, criticize… If, like in Part 3, Why The Golden Rule Works, we send out hate, that is what we receive in return. If hatred is not what we want to receive, then how do we BE LOVE?
What does it 
mean to live the Golden Rule? How might it make a difference in your lif
Part 1, the question you were to ask yourself is how you want to be treated by others.
Part 2, Which quality do you choose to live?
Part 3, Divine Message, Why the Golden Rule Works
In the Bible, 1 Corinthian 13:4-7, Paul said…
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never ends.
Let’s study the ancient meaning of these words on love:
(William Barclay, Daily Study Guide of First Corinthians is source for the ancient meanings.)
- Love is patient. The Greek word makrothumein, used in the New Testament always describes patience with people and not patience with circumstances. The word is used of the person who is wronged but doesn’t seek vengeance; a person who is slow to anger, and who, no matter how unkind and hurting someone is to them, shows the same patience as God shows all of us, and is a sign of strength, not weakness. That doesn’t mean patience with circumstances, or to remain in an abusive situation. That is not love, neither to the abused or the abuser; that is enabling and only encourages abusive behavior. Get out. Stay safe.
- Love is kind. Love that is “sweet to all.” Some people are good and yet unkind. That also means being sweet and kind to yourself.
- Love does not envy. There are two kinds of envy. One covets the possessions of other people. The other begrudges that others have what they don’t have. Socialism falls into this category – taking from others so that you can have more. That is believing that God is limitation, not abundance. We don’t pull others down to try to lift ourselves up. Depend on God as your Unlimited Supplier.
- Love does not boast. Some people confer their love with the idea that they are bestowing a favor. Boasting isn’t a pure excitement about an accomplishment but a pompous or arrogant talk or manner. A cockiness.
- Love is not arrogant. This is the person who says they are not like other people, that the laws of morality, or even laws in general, do not apply to them, and who talks and acts as if they are superior.
- Love is not rude. There are those who, under the guise of love, take delight in being blunt and almost brutal – using truth as a weapon to hurt or bring down.
- Love does not insist upon its own way. This is about those who are always thinking of what life owes them, a sense of entitlement, instead of those who never forget what they owe to life, a sense of gratitude.
- Love is not irritable. Meaning it never flies into a temper, never becomes impatient and exasperated with people, which is a sign of defeat. When we lose our tempers, we lose.
- Love is not resentful; it does not store up the memory of any wrong-doing. The Greek word translated store up (logizesthai) is an accountant’s word, and used for entering up an item in a ledger so that it will not be forgotten. We too often reach into the past to remind other’s of their mistakes. A “remember when you….?”
- Love finds no pleasure in wrong-doing, which means love finds no pleasure in anything that is wrong, or the malicious pleasure when we hear something derogatory about someone else.
- Love rejoices with the truth. The TRUE Truth equals freedom. It means total connection with Source. It is rejoicing with others for their good fortune, being happy for and with them.
- Love endures all things. Love can bear any insult, any injury, any disappointment because one’s strength lies within each person, and not from anything seemingly outside oneself. Enduring can also mean deciding what is right for you and your life and making necessary changes.
- Love believes all things. It means trusting our Source, always, and believing the best about other people who are also created by/from God. It means believing you are magnificent because you are created from God-Magnificence. It means all is possible with God.
- Love hopes all things. In reality, your hope resides within the God within you. It means to trust in that power that is greater than your own. Your Higher Power. It means don’t get discouraged, don’t let circumstances and situations have power over you, but to keep asking for help, knowing in advance that you will receive it.
- Love bears all things. The verb used here (hupomenein) is one of the great Greek words. It is generally translated to bear or to endure; but what it really describes is not the spirit which can passively bear things, but the spirit which, in bearing them, can conquer and transmute them. To transform them. It’s not a passive suffering, but a proactive transfiguration.
WHY IS LOVE IMPORTANT?
Love is part of all of there is. What is Wisdom without love? How can there be compassion without love? Power without love would be ill-used and thus no True Power at all. There can be no true relationship without love. And guidance in life to what and where? If there is no love, then you are mis-guided. Without love there is no peace, beauty, harmony or joy. Without love there is no purpose. To be of any value and to experience happiness in your life, allow God’s love to emanate in all you think, say and do. You are only happy when you are God in action which is being love.
HOW DO YOU ‘BE LOVE’?
Certainly not by yourself. What is crucial is to connect with your Source of Love, God. Ask for help in removing any blockages preventing you from being the love you long to receive. Every thought, word and action are to be loving. Ask God how to do that. Allow God’s love to flood into you, filling you with Divine love. THEN you can share that love with others. In return. you will receive love, along with peace and the joy of being alive.
In the Golden Rule, concentrate on being love, on your Oneness with God that is the Source of Love, and all else will fall in place.
Love is part of all of there is. What is Wisdom without love? How can there be compassion without love? Power without love would be ill-used and thus no True Power at all. There can be no true relationship without love. And guidance in life to what and where? If there is no love, then you are mis-guided. Without love there is no peace, beauty, harmony or joy. Without love there is no purpose. To be of any value and to experience happiness in your life, allow God’s love to emanate in all you think, say and do. You are only happy when you are God in action which is being love.
Next week: The Golden Rule, Part 5: Changing Yourself, & the World
The Golden Rule, Part 2: Which Quality do You Choose to Live?
The Golden Rule, Part 3: Why the Golden Rule Works
Photo Credit: alphabetsalad.com
Living the Golden Rule, Part 3 ~ Divine Message, Why the Golden Rule Works
The following post is a Divine Message of an inspirational example from Carolyne Cathey of how first sending out what you want to receive actually works. Carolyne receives messages from her mentor, Jesus, about everyday life situations, and how, by following the suggestions, they can transform our lives into something special.
What does it mean to live the Golden Rule? How might it make a difference in your life?
Part 1, the question you were to ask yourself is how you want to be treated by others.
Part 2, Which quality do you choose to live?
Part 3, Divine Message, Why the Golden Rule Works
Receiving and Giving are One Cord
HAVE YOU HEARD the saying that it is easier to give than receive? That saying described me. For some reason I loved giving but I had a hard time receiving. People would offer to give to me in return but I would decline. I would notice the hurt in their eyes, which made me feel guilty, and yet I felt guilty in accepting.
I wondered why it seems easier to give than receive? Pride? Ego? An “I don’t want to be a burden,” attitude? An “I can do it myself” attitude? I felt less somehow when a person would offer to help, like I was lacking something that someone else had to fill in because I was inadequate or flawed. As a result, I was unintentionally rude when I would turn down someone’s offer to help or to give me something. I didn’t mean to be rude. I meant not to be a burden or bother, or dependent. Or even more, that I didn’t need anyone’s help (can you hear the ego in that statement?) With my refusal I could see the disappointment in someone’s eyes or demeanor that showed I had rejected the generosity from their heart.
Jesus kept assuring me that giving and receiving are the same, but I couldn’t see it. To me, giving indicated strength, receiving revealed weakness.
One day, he flashed a vision into my mind that is best demonstrated by acting it out.
Exercise
To act out the vision, stand up to demonstrate this truth.
Imagine a thick nylon cord or rope threading through your solar plexus, front to back and it slides both ways. Place one hand on the imaginary cord coming out the front of your waist, and one hand on the same imaginary cord threading through you out the back of your waist. When you pull so that the rope goes outward from you, as in giving, notice that it also comes into you from the back, as in receiving. With the invisible cord in your hands, let the cable slide back and forth and you’ll see that no matter which way the cord glides, when you are giving, you are also receiving.
Jesus said:
“Everything you have is from the Divine. Everything. Including the love that fills you, love that is so freely given to you from your Creator. Everything you receive you first receive from the Divine. When others are giving to you, you are receiving what flowed through them from the Divine. So, whether giving or receiving, it is all from your Source, your Unlimited Supplier.
“This image demonstrates that receiving and giving are the same. Your problem is that you allow ego and pride to get in your way, that when you decline a generous offer, you not only hurt the other person, you also hurt yourself. When you refuse to receive, you are blocking the natural flow. You are trying to separate the inseparable.
“Notice that when you slide the cord back and forth, that the giving comes from inside you at the same time that the receiving slips inside you, so you cannot possibly give without also giving to yourself.
“You can name the cord. If you name the cord ‘hate’, then when you give hate, that is what you receive. If you name the cord ‘love’, then when you give love, you receive love in return. Which means that if you want to receive love, then you must give love—in remembrance that you are giving from the love you’ve already received. You are created from love. You are love. Give what you truly are—love.”
Now the vision shifts: Jesus said…
“Imagine that the cord that runs through you also runs through a person in front of you and a person behind you, and the people on the other side of each of them. See the connection?” he said. “For someone to give there must be someone else to receive that gift, and of course, the reverse is true. For someone else to give, then another must receive.
“As with the cord, receiving isn’t always from the same person to whom you give. You will often receive back from unexpected sources.
“Also notice that when you give there is no lack because as you are giving, what you receive slips in continuously, allowing continual giving. That is the natural flow. The natural flow of giving and receiving is always going on —there is no life without it.”
Meaning: This message applies to all of creation—people, animals and the planet. Again, you might ‘receive’ from varying forms. Animals love in return, just like people, and sometimes better than people. Contributing in your own loving way fosters a more loving, healthy community, which benefits you and everyone.
Action:
Today, practice giving and receiving love with a smile and with gratitude.
“Everything you have is from the Divine. Everything. Including the love that fills you, love that is so freely given to you from your Creator. Everything you receive you first receive from the Divine. When others are giving to you, you are receiving what flowed through them from the Divine. So, whether giving or receiving, it is all from your Source, your Unlimited Supplier.” ~ Jesus. Divine Messages from Jesus. p. 365. 2015. Cathey, Carolyne.
Next week: The Golden Rule, Part 4: Being Love
The Golden Rule, Part 2: Which Quality do You Choose to Live?
Photo Credit: alphabetsalad.com
What Do You Want – Really? Part 2: Turning Your Wants Into Goals
If you did the suggested work in Part One of What Do You Want – Really? then you made at least a partial list of items or situations you really want to come true – the deep-down wants beyond the superficial wants. If you haven’t yet made even a partial list, then please reread What Do You Want – Really?
Why? Because unless you know what you want – really, then you won’t accomplish what you truly desire – even if it is merely to survive. But go for more than survival. This is your life! There are miracles waiting for you once you know what you want most desperately, and how to bring that desperate desire into reality, which will be in Part 3, Turning Your Goals Into Realities.
But for now we’re talking about turning those wants into goals.
As I mentioned in Part 1, the question of what you really want seems like it would be easy to answer, but it is often one of the most difficult questions we ask ourselves. Especially if our lives are tied up with a sociopath who bans self-thought of what we want for ourselves or our children. You might feel you aren’t allowed to choose for yourself, that in doing so you will suffer punishment for daring to do so. Which means, often, to be safe and to try to maintain peace, or lack of abuse, you merely go along with what the sociopath dictates. For survival, maybe what you want is not to be hit again. But is that what you want – really? These are tough questions when life is tough. But, and this is important, unless you know what you really want, you’ll never get to where you truly want to be.
At this moment in time, the challenge is to now take that list of wants and turn them into goals.
What is the difference?
- Wants means to merely wish for something to happen.
- Goals are focused targets where you’ve made a commitment. Commitment is necessary in following through with what you feel you’re Divinely guided to do. Folliwng through means the steps you take in order to bring those goals into reality, which will be in Part 3, Turning Your Goals Into Realities.
FROM TRUTH: IMPORTANT! If what you want is to stop the abuse, click on the link: Stop the Abuse
Let’s assume you’ve made a list – even if it is only in your head so that someone else doesn’t see it and lash out at you. Your list will depend on where you are in life, your situation, your unhappiness with where you are, and what you feel is important to do to improve your situation.
For example: If you are, unfortunately, linked in some capacity with a sociopathic personality, then merely wanting to survive the abuse seems like all you might be able to accomplish. But let’s go beyond that situation.
If you could do anything without recourse, what would you like your life to look like? Peaceful? Happy? Free? Living without fear? Think deeply about this question. Your life might depend on it.
If you don’t like your situation, then how might you want to change it? If you naively believe that your love will change that sociopath, then think again. They don’t think like you do. They have a different agenda. They might plead and beg and say how sorry they are and that it will never happen again, but it will. In fact, the longer you tolerate abuse, the worse it will grow because you are encouraging their bad behavior. At that point, you are becoming part of the problem.
Think about yourself, and your children if you have any. Don’t let them grow up knowing and experiencing abuse. They will either become the abuser, or the recipient of abuse. You are their example. Be a good one!
Going back to our potential example:
- First, you want – really – to get out of your toxic situation – safely! You should never allow anyone to abuse you or bully you either physically or emotionally. As I said before, if you allow it, you are part of the problem. How do you do that?
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- See Link: How to Stop the Abuse. There are links there you can contact for help. There is legal advice, financial assistance, places you can go, and more.
NOTE: Ties to family and friends might have been cut by the abuser/controller. Usually that is a mirage and your friends and family care very much about what happens to you but have lost a means of contact. With that said:
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- Family and/or Friends: it depends on your family and friends whether they are supportive of your getting away, or don’t believe you have a problem and tell you to stay, or, you made the original choice, now live with it. Wrong! No one is so perfect as to know everything about everyone, and sometimes we, in good faith, get sucked into a bad situation. You might realize that if your family can help you, and you are in a dangerous relationship, that you will most likely need to find an unexpected location for you, and children if you have them. But think of the freedom! Of living without fear!
- Church: Again, it depends on the church pastor. They might be understanding and helpful, or they might tell you that you would be sinful to try to leave and to start life over. If they are the understanding type, they will probably have suggestions on how to help you.
- Police/Sheriff: Yet again, it depends on the person and their laws as to what they can do. As long as your abuser/controller isn’t connected with the police/sheriff, you might be all right going to them for help and/or advice. They might not be able to do anything unless the person is caught in the act of abuse, but you can at least ask.
- Local nonprofits who are there to help you in your situation.
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- Second, starting over. Begin thinking about the urgings of your heart. Unearth those long-buried dreams. Those are God-seeds planted within your heart that will bring you the greatest joy. True, you might have to do something short-term to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be, but remember, it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do what you do with love – from being a janitor, or waiting tables, or being President. Do it with love. All are noble occupations and equally important. No person is more important than any other because we are all God-creations, created by the same God from the same God-stuff. Pray, ask God for help.
In the above potential example, you’ve gone from Wishing, to Commitment. You’ve moved from Wants, to Goals. Something on which you can focus and work.
Perhaps your wants aren’t as extreme as the potential example, but you get the idea.
For another example: Your want might be to be wealthy. But what do you really want? What the wealth might provide? Security? Travel? A home? Joy? Happiness? Merely having wealth doesn’t guarantee any of those outcomes. Perhaps you want fame? Why? To feel you are noticed and important? Or, to the other side, that you have a skill or talent you would love to share with the world so as to help people. Just being famous doesn’t mean you are happy and fulfilled. You don’t need to be famous to matter. You matter now. You are important now. Go beyond the superficial wants to the life-enriching goals that really matter, that really make a difference. This is your life. With God’s help and guidance, you can make it the most rewarding and fulfilling life possible.
Keep working on your list. Move your wants to goals, tangibles where you will focus your energy and effort. Do feel something positive stirring within your heart? Do you feel hope? If so, you are amazing to get to this point. It takes courage, AND FAITH.
ALWAYS PRAY AND ASK FOR HELP. Then listen for the answers or be aware of subtle changes in your life.
EXPECT A MIRACLE.
REMEMBER: You do not have to know the HOW, only the WHAT. The Divine takes care of the how. In fact, the Divine is with you through everything – the entire process – as a co-creator of which goals are best for you, your belief in and trust that the goals are already yours, along with the Divine Implementer carrying out the how to a successful result – thought into form, cause into effect.
FROM TRUTH: IMPORTANT! If what you want is to stop the abuse, click on the link: Stop the Abuse
Next: Part 3, Turning Your Goals Into Realities.
Previous:, Part 1 What Do You Want – Really?
Politics! How do I Love Those Who…?
Although the following post is suggestions on threading your way safely and lovingly through political situations, the information is also relevant to dealing with any challenging personality. Hope you enjoy the excerpt From the book Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life p. 181-186. 2015. Cathey, Carolyne.
Truth.
Carolyne Cathey writes…
POLITICS MAKES ENEMIES out of friends. Why is that? Do you ever wonder how two wonderful people can look at and listen to the same incident and yet have opposite reactions? Anyone who follows the news media, and your friends, or your former friends, knows this is true. I’ll wonder, did we even watch the same event? How is it possible that we look at these issues from such conflicting viewpoints?
Another puzzle is that the people, candidates, TV news panels, newspapers and political supporters often practice the same behavior they claim they hate. They become what they dislike. They talk love while calling their opponents hateful names. They talk togetherness while spouting divisive accusations. They yell that if they don’t get their way, they promise to be a wounding thorn in the democratic process no matter who gets hurt, instead of being part of a healing collaboration. I’m not talking about a particular party or candidate. I’m talking about what happens when someone wants to win so badly that they’ll do anything to win—even behaving in ways they claim they strongly disapprove of in other people.
Calm discussion is rarely possible in these instances. Far too often, friendships are ended merely because their friends have differing thoughts and ideas.
Divine Conversation about Politics
Like you are encouraged to do, I took my concerns to Jesus who very patiently listened while I ranted and raved about what I thought were the overwhelming injustices in the world, finally working my way to—
“Politics!” I yelled within my mind. “How do I respond when beliefs are so very different? How do I react when I feel that all I hear are lies, that what they say is only what they want me to believe is the truth, but isn’t, and they know it isn’t the truth, but it helps them to get what they want, which is power and control. They spread those horrible lies in order to further their agenda, then people who believe them act out as if the lies are true, hurting themselves, others, our country and world with long-lasting affects. I feel manipulated, like a sucker being played. How do I—”
“With love” Jesus said. “Love is all that matters. That means you don’t respond with attacks or hatred and negativity. Respond with love, with the real eternal truth and the God qualities of love, light, joy, harmony, beauty, and peace.
“People’s actions reveal what is in their hearts. When it is negative, it is a result of some kind of fear. Look at your thoughts and actions. That is what is inside of you, taking up valuable space, pushing out love. What you send out is what you choose to receive in return. If you send out hatred (a form of fear), you receive hatred. Choose to send out love, not fear.
“That doesn’t mean politicians {or abusers} or the press or their followers are allowed to do whatever they want. To let them get by with lies and greed and harming others means you are enabling their behavior. You become part of the problem, not the solution.
“Be smart. Be wise. Look beyond the platitudes and the smooth lies. The challenge is in knowing the truth beyond the perceptions. Don’t depend on a prejudiced press or supporters for the truth. Don’t believe everything you hear or read. Research truthful sources. Ask me for help in knowing the truth. Trust in me.”
I asked how you love the people you’re propagandized to fear?
“With love. I know I say that with every answer, but that is because love is what matters. What does that mean?
“It means react and choose from love, not fear. It means pray for those for whom you feel anger and fear. Image them with God’s light around them, filling them with truth and all of the God’s qualities. It means sending your love to them. It means to send healing thoughts and prayers to fill them, surround them, and everyone around them, and to the country, and to the planet. It means to contribute in a positive way.
“It means that, from love, you say no to anyone who, out of fear—which includes ego—rages and destroys and seeks to hurt and harm. That is not love. Seek healing, not revenge. Be part of the improvement, not the destruction. Do unto others as you wish them to do unto you.
“When people act out their rage, it means that, in their fright, they are frantically looking outside themselves for their happiness and fulfillment. The Inner Divine is your Unlimited Supplier for your happiness, not from anything outside yourself.
“Love originates from your Source of Love filling you continuously. Remove any hatred or fear that is blocking Divine love so that love fills you to overflowing. First, love yourself, without judgment and with compassion. Then you can love others as you love yourself.
“Remember, you are not your experiences. You are not a label. You are not the drama playing out around you. You are not supplied by those making the promises.
“You are an eternal spirit beyond all of the illusions in the world, including politics. You are one with the Greatest Power in the Universe.
“Ask for Divine guidance at all times. I am with you always. We are a team. Together we make a loving difference. Be part of the solution. Allow me to send love, through you.”
Meaning: This is a volatile subject and stirs passionate reactions.
But, as you notice in the quotes and throughout this book, love is always the answer. As Jesus said earlier, the challenge is in knowing the truth beyond the perceptions. Only Divine guidance knows the real truth.
Here are my personal concerns that I’ve turned over to Jesus:
Tolerance, or the lack of. My concern is that we’ve become an intolerant society, replaced by hatred and judgment. According to the Miriam-Webster Dictionary, tolerance is “a willingness to accept feelings, habits, or beliefs that are different from your own.”
Truth is often buried beneath the ‘agenda-spin’. What is sad is when anger and rage mistakenly stem from lies that people believe with all their hearts are the truth, but are really distortions that a press or candidates have claimed is true but are spun into lies so they could win. When that happens, everyone is hurt. Don’t get caught in the lie-trap.
Integrity is another loss. Honesty is fading in importance. Sadly, ‘getting by’ with something is often considered a joke and something to admire.
How are tolerance, truth and integrity undermined?
Fear. Fear is used to control. Fear and control are prevalent in politics, advertising, churches, companies, and families. You’re warned that if you don’t vote for their candidate, buy their product, practice their religion, that horrible results will happen to you—and the planet.
Think about the list: Hate, anger, fear, control, intolerance, lies—everything that is the opposite of the God qualities, which are love, truth, beauty, peace, harmony, and joy.
The truth is, God loves unconditionally. God is love. You are love. Be loving in all situations. Be love. There are no exceptions.
Choose the God-qualities that result in a blessed life for you. No matter what is going on around you,
Choose God. Choose Love.
“You are to repeat and repeat until all know without doubt, you are one with your Source, and the Source is your Unlimited Supplier, not a human.
“Which means that you are to turn to the Source for all things. And…”
“Once you ‘get Oneness’, everything else falls in place.” ~ Jesus
Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life. Jesus.p.186. 2015. Cathey, Carolyne.
Love Doesn’t Mean Condoning Behavior
The following is an interesting post on how to love challenging people without being an enabler. Hope you enjoy the excerpt From the book Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life p. 177-179. 2015. Cathey, Carolyne.
Truth.
ALL ARE CHILDREN of God, created by God, but that doesn’t mean you ignore behavior that is not loving. You are to know the truth about everyone in that they are eternal spirits who are created by the Source from the same love that is God.
Jesus said:
“The challenge is that many people don’t know the truth of who they are and, out of ignorance and fear, make ego-based decisions rather than love-based. Ego-based and fear-based are the same.
“How do you react and respond? No matter what, you see the truth of who they are even though they don’t know it for themselves—eternal spirits created by love. You reject anything that is not an embodiment of their truth. If they lie and manipulate and connive and try to destroy, you say no to that behavior. To accept without question the negativity emanating from them means you are enabling their behavior, encouraging their misperceptions.
“Love of yourself means you do not allow others to treat you with less than the love and respect you deserve as a child of God. Self-love means only allowing loving behavior from yourself as well as from others.
“Self-sacrifice might appear noble but when enacted without self-love you weaken yourself and those around you.
“What unhealthy self-sacrifice means is if you continually give self-sacrificially to the point that others become dependent on you. The result is that they aren’t developing their own strength and realizing their own truth. What you might believe is helpful, might, in reality, harm. In actuality, unhealthy self-sacrifice, when searched below the surface, can be ego-based—acting so as to feel needed, superior, which is harmful to everyone involved.
“That doesn’t mean you don’t help people.
“If your heart and Divine Guide tell you it is the right thing to do to help a particular person or situation, then you do it according to God’s direction. If you are Divinely urged to help someone into an improved situation that will empower them and help them gain their independence, freedom, self-worth and the truth of who they are, then of course you are to help. And of course you always show love and compassion. But if you want successful results, don’t attempt the impossible by thinking you are stepping away from God to do it. You do all things through God and with God’s inner-led direction.
“You are urged to see the truth of everyone, saying no to everything that isn’t the truth.”
“Love of yourself means you do not allow others to treat you with less than the love and respect you deserve as a child of God. Self-love means only allowing loving behavior from yourself as well as from others.” ~ Jesus
Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life p. 177-179. 2015. Cathey, Carolyne.
How to React With Unloving People
The following is an interesting post on how to react with people who are difficult to love, perhaps even abusive. Hope you enjoy the excerpt From the book Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life p. 171-175. 2015. Cathey, Carolyne.
Truth.
I’VE BEEN ASKING Jesus questions on dealing with negative personalities and how to be loving and peaceful when all I feel is anger and fear.
“With love,” Jesus said.
“That’s hard,” I said. “This person I’m talking about is hard to love. He’s strange, creepy, unsettling, controlling, manipulative. How do I be like you in respect to someone like that, or, a person who can be charming one moment, then in the next moment their personality flips to the opposite? For some reason, I feel as if it is somehow my fault, that I did something wrong to set them off.”
“Focus on me,” Jesus said. “God loves everyone equally. But don’t accept anything less than the truth from people, situations or yourself. The truth is all that matters. That is why you are to focus on me. I know the truth. Then you are to live your truth, always.”
I said, “But, the other person is not expressing truth. Please tell me, reveal to me, show me, how I’m supposed to feel and react to one of God’s own who is still trying to manipulate me into meeting them in remote places, is frightening me, even using my loved ones as bait. And yes, I do feel tense in relation to this person, but mainly because I don’t know how to be like you in this situation.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Absolutely,” I said.
“That is all you need to know. Trust in me. Focus on me. Allow me to work through you, to guide you. I will tell you what to do and when. The guidance will vary from person to person and situation to situation, which is why it is vital for your own happiness to keep our continual communication channel open at all times. That’s all you need to know. Trust, and allow.
“However, for this particular person whose intention is to control and manipulate you through lies and guilt, and for anyone who might be dangerous, this is what you are to do.
“First, no contact. Cut off all contact with that person —no more phone calls, no meeting them anywhere, no feeling guilty and going by to see them because they claim they have changed. No contact.”
I said, “Cutting off all contact is hard. I feel as if I’m abandoning them when I should be helping them. Isn’t that what we are supposed to do? Help others?”
Jesus said:
“It depends on the person and the situation. Look at it this way. If, by your words and actions, you continue to encourage anyone who is trying to control or manipulate you into doing what they want instead of what is right for you, or anyone who is causing you emotional or physical stress or harm, then you are, in reality, part of the problem because you are aiding their behavior. Don’t do that. You are not helping that person to heal. You are entrenching their behavior. You’re making it worse.
“Second, it is not your responsibility to ‘fix’ this person, or any person. You are relieved of that burden. They are responsible for their own actions. Only they can make the choice to change themselves.”
Confused, I asked, “Then I am to abandon them to their own damaging personality?”
Jesus said:
“How can you abandon what isn’t yours to ‘fix’. Trust in me. I am lovingly working with this person whom I equally love, but because of free will, until they allow me to guide them, I remain available, waiting for them to ask me for help. At this point, they say they don’t believe in God. Even so, I continue to work with them through other methods, knowing they can instantly choose a better way.
“Third, love yourself. The only person you can control is yourself. By loving yourself that means you have the right to say ‘no’ to anyone who isn’t acting in your own best interest.
“Loving yourself isn’t narcissistic, which isn’t really love but a form of fear. It is about nurturing yourself, being aware of the positive and negative energy vibrations around you, accepting what is good, rejecting what is not, being selective to what is best and most loving for you. That includes the food you eat and your lifestyle. This is your responsibility. To, first, love yourself. And to trust in me.”
I felt as if a huge burden lifted from my heart. “This,” I thought, “I can do. To love myself and let Jesus guide me as to what is the right action for me. I matter.”
Meaning: We’re taught all through life that we can, or should, ‘fix’ people. Many people choose partners and go into relationships and marriages with the idea of changing the person into their idea of what they should be. That is a false basis for any relationship.
The only person for whom you are responsible (not including children), is yourself. Even the child makes their own choices, but the parent, family and adult friends are meant to act on God’s behalf to lead the child into healthy, loving choices so that they develop their own inner Divine connection with their Source.
Turn to your Divine Guide. Your spiritual mentor has the perfect answers and solutions for every situation you face. Those answers will vary according to each event. Trust. Have faith. Listen. Follow. In other words—
Trust and Obey.
By the way, obeying your Divine Guide means you are following the advice you receive. Smart.
“Loving yourself isn’t narcissistic, which isn’t really love but a form of fear. It is about nurturing yourself, being aware of the positive and negative energy vibrations around you, accepting what is good, rejecting what is not, and being selective to what is best and most loving for you. That includes the food you eat and your lifestyle. This is your responsibility. To, first, love yourself. And to trust in me.” ~ Jesus
Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life p. 171-175. 2015. Cathey, Carolyne.
Healing Guilt, Shame and Regret, Part 8: The surprising secret to forgiveness.
THE SECRET TO LETTING GO?
LOVING YOUR PAST!
I know. Loving Your Past as the secret to forgiveness sounds bizarre. Impossible. Weird. But stay with me here. I’ve tried this. It works. Read through the information from the book, “Divine Messages from Jesus” by Carolyne Cathey, p. 351-354.
Give the following suggestions a try for yourself. Then, feel free to comment below on if or how this information helps you. Did it free you somewhat from the enslavement of your unforgiveness? I’m curious to know if your result was as positive as mine.
I don’t know yet if you’ve read her insightful book, but this chapter on forgiveness starts with…
Jesus (Cathey’s Spiritual mentor), explains how to forgive by loving your past.
“Listen carefully,” he said. “There is a secret to letting go of the regrets and it will sound the opposite of what you expect. Your supposed failure is because what you’ve been attempting is from the mind, not the heart. Remember how I’ve said that love is all that matters? What people often don’t realize, is that statement is true even of the past. What most do when trying to heal the past is try to forget it, to block it out, which is mental, when what is most healing is to work from the heart and embrace the past —to love it, love everything about you— including your past.
“Start this moment with healing and letting go of the past as you remember it and is no longer serving you. Without unforgiveness, your past is an anchor chaining you from taking flight into all that is your full potential.
“As you remember it’ means that many, when they look at their past, mainly see and feel their regrets, guilt, anger, and even self-loathing for what they feel they should have done better—all of the should haves and why didn’t I’s. Sometimes you see yourselves as victims mired in pain and anger that you have difficulty releasing. Believing you are a victim is disempowering and conflicting—guilt that you didn’t somehow prevent it from happening, and yet continually giving someone else power over your life because you refuse to release it.
“What you don’t see is the glory in your past. You forget that you did what you believed was the right choice at the time, and there is glory in that. Those experiences are part of learning and growth.
If you never made mistakes that would be the greatest mistake of all because, for one, that isn’t possible when in the physical, and for two, you wouldn’t have been taking the risks necessary for growth and development—you would have learned judgment and arrogance instead of understanding and compassion.”
Then he reveals about the gift inside the pain.
“Mostly what no one recognizes is the gift inside even the sad and angry and painful moments. There is always a gift. Always, even though you might not recognize it for the blessing it is. Recognizing those gifts, those treasures, despite the awfulness of the memories, is the key to releasing the pain so that you can truly love yourself for the wonderful being you are.”
Then he adds the challenge:
“This moment is the perfect time for you to dig out those past moments and send love to all of the negative memories and regrets and guilt. Discover the pearls within that are formed from the friction. Those pearls are yours to claim. Love those moments and accept them for what they are—life’s lessons—and love them as part of the treasure of who you are right now.
“Love and congratulate yourself for daring to live. Love is compassionate, so be compassionate. Love heals. And remember, you are not in this alone. Go inward and ask for help in the healing. Ask to see your past through God’s eyes, through the lens of love.”
Meaning: Unforgiveness is hurting you, not the perpetrators. As difficult a challenge as it might seem, love yourself by forgiving yourself first, then work on forgiving others, remembering that you are doing this for you. Vital to your success is asking for Divine help in forgiving yourself, and others.
Remember the quote:
“What most do when trying to heal the past is try to forget it, to block it out, which is mental, when what is most healing is to work from the heart and embrace the past —to love it.” ~ Jesus
Excerpt from Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life, p, 351-354. Cathey, Carolyne. 2015
(To be continued)
Part 9: Going from Forgiveness to Gratitude
Previous Posts: Healing Guilt, Shame and Regret
Healing Guilt, Shame and Regret, Part 1
Part 3: Me Worthy? But my mistakes!
Part 5: How do I forgive when I’m still hurt and angry?
Part 6: When you don’t forgive, who is hurt?
Part 7 : Consider: When you don’t forgive, who or what controls you?
Healing Guilt, Shame and Regret, Part 7: Consider: When you don’t forgive, who or what controls you?
We ended Part 6 with, if you don’t forgive, even when the one abusing you is a charming sociopath, who, or what, controls you?
On the home page there are descriptions of the emotionless but superficially charming sociopathic personality that causes great harm. Perhaps you’ve been caught in and confused by their games of control and manipulation. If so…
Consider: The charming sociopath is like a parasite. Because they don’t feel emotions, they have to continually feed off of other people’s emotions. They always have to have a victim. They are dependent on others outside of themselves. That is their weak link. Are you allowing yourself to be their victim? You have a choice. It might be a risky, dangerous choice, but you still have a choice. Get help.
Consider: Is there any reason not to choose a better life for you? The NS will never feel real emotions, only fake ones to control you and make you feel guilty.
Choose freedom. Choose healing. Go after what is best for your life. All things are possible with God, so don’t try to do this alone, in fact it’s impossible. Ask for Divine guidance, knowing that the way will be shown to you. Even if your unforgiveness is unrelated to a NS…
Consider: What do you want for YOU? Continual bondage with the reminders and memories fueling the unforgiveness? Or freedom? Do you choose to hold the chains of unforgiveness for the rest of your life? Chains that shackle you to the act, to the perpetrator? If not, then maybe now is the time to let go and reclaim your power and control. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you’ll forget, but it means it no longer negatively impacts you and your decisions.
FORGIVENESS MEANS FREEDOM. RECLAIM YOUR POWER!
This is all about you. LET GO!
Remember:
“When you don’t forgive, you are willfully giving someone else control over you, chaining you to the very nightmare you long to forget, dominating you through negative emotions that are continually impacting your thoughts, fears, health, relationships and life.
“This is because you mistakenly believe that outside forces control you, when in reality it’s the forces inside of you that affect you. I am inside of you. God is inside of you. There is no greater power. This power gives you freedom from bondage to whatever you believe is injustice. But first you must forgive, others and yourself, because forgiveness breaks the chains of domination, releasing the inner power, releasing you belongs—with you.” ~Jesus
FORGIVENESS IS POWER
If you are finally ready to let go, but aren’t having any success in doing so, be sure to read Post 8: The surprising secret to forgiveness.
Excerpts from Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life, p, 339-343. Cathey, Carolyne. 2015
Quote and Image from Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life, p. 347-349. 2015. Cathey, Carolyne
(To be continued)
Previous Posts: Healing Guilt, Shame and Regret
Healing Guilt, Shame and Regret, Part 1
Part 3: Me Worthy? But my mistakes!
Part 5: How do I forgive when I’m still hurt and angry?
Part 6: When you don’t forgive, who is hurt?
Healing Guilt, Shame and Regret, Part 6: When you don’t forgive, who is hurt?
In Part 5, How do I forgive when I’m still hurt and angry, we ended with:
FORGIVENESS IS FOR YOU, THE FORGIVER, NOT FOR THE PERPETRATOR.
If that is true, then why is forgiveness so difficult?
Consider: When you don’t forgive, who is the one hurt?
It is sadly shocking to realize that when you are harboring bitterness and negative thoughts, you are hurting yourself and probably not affecting the perpetrator at all. All of that hatred, indignation, negativity, unfriendly thoughts and even revenge and vindictiveness are roiling inside of you—forms of unforgiveness taking up valuable space and energy for the positives in your life, like love. When you imprison all of that negative energy inside of you, you are the one negatively affected.
“Forgiveness reminds you that nothing outside of you or happens to you is your truth. They are experiences only, not who you are.” ~ Jesus. Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life. p. 339. Cathey, Carolyne 2015
Consider: When you don’t forgive the situation or other person or persons, who else shares the byproduct-results of your hurt and anger?
Might there be innocent ones who suffer the results of your refusal to let go and forgive, such as children, siblings, family, co-workers and friends? All are connected, which means that your hurt and anger cause less than desirable choices which, in turn, affects others who share no blame and yet suffer the consequences.
Think carefully about your unforgiveness. Who else is negatively impacted who is an innocent in the situation?
* Don’t approach this consideration with guilt, but with reality and assessment. Make a list of who else is suffering because you are suffering, and include their connection with you and their ages.
Consider: If what you feel you cannot forgive is due to the actions of another, how does your unforgiveness affect them? Are they contrite? Shamed? Or unaffected and couldn’t care less?
In my personal experience of when I was attacked at fifteen years old by someone I trusted (no blood relation), the attacker felt no compassion or any need for forgiveness from me or for himself. He went on with his millionaire’s life of luxury and world jet-setting as if I didn’t matter.
I’m sad to say I allowed his act of violence to affect me to the point of a shaking fear, even to questioning myself if somehow I had unwittingly invited it. I didn’t tell anyone because I felt ashamed and didn’t want to upset the ones I loved, or have to live with the stigma of violation. I assumed that since he was a powerful person then most likely everyone would believe his version rather than the truth. As a result, I withdrew from dealing with the aftermath of reporting it and kept silent, which meant that because of my lack of courage, I allowed him to continue his violent behavior with other unsuspecting innocents. I felt weak, powerless, unprotected, and ashamed.
Much later I realized that by not letting the incident go, I shackled myself to the very violation I hated.
I don’t mean that I finally condoned his actions, because what he did was wrong. Condoning and forgiving are two separate issues. However, my refusal to forgive bound me to the incident, allowing the attack and the attacker to control me through the repeated memories affecting my life. My reliving it and worrying it like a loose tooth was only impacting me, not him. He could have cared less. My unforgiveness didn’t affect him at all. I was only hurting myself.
I decided “That’s stupid!” I knew in my heart I didn’t unwittingly invite the violation, but I realized I did unwittingly chain myself like a prisoner to what happened. My unforgiveness made it worse for me.
Jesus says to us::
“That person never hurt the real you, the eternal you, but only the temporary physical shell. I assure you that there is nothing outside of you that can harm the actual you. The eternal you is forever within the love of God. You are forever strong from within the Source.
“There is nothing anyone can do to you, any circumstance that happens to you, that changes who you are—a God-creation. Any thought otherwise is a lie, an illusion you’ve allowed to cloud your truth.”
Jesus. Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life. p. 341. Cathey, Carolyne 2015
Consider: If you are the one you feel you can’t forgive because you believe you were the one at fault, how are you affected?
You hurt, for certain. Letting go of guilt over something you feel you did in error is sometimes more challenging than forgiving someone else.
Either way, you often feel guilt. Even if you were the one attacked or betrayed, the ‘what ifs’ still haunt. What if I had yelled louder, hadn’t gone down that street, told my parents/ his wife/the police, what if, what if, what if ?
How has the event affected you and your life? Your joy? Your choices and decisions? Has that incident affected the choices you made that resulted in where you are right now? These self-analysis questions might take some time to think through but are worth the time and effort. Journal them. In writing them down you’ll open more and more to the truth that is buried inside you, that no longer serves you and longs for release.
If your unforgiveness negatively affected your past choices, and maybe even your current choices, ask yourself if you are tired of the shackles and are ready to move toward freedom and power.
Jesus says to us:
“Forgiveness expands you, deepens you, allows the inner light to shine more brightly from within you because you’ve removed limitations hindering you from expressing and living the fullness of your being. Forgiveness opens you more fully into who you are—Oneness within Spirit. One within God.”
Jesus. Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life. p. 342. Cathey, Carolyne 2015
Consider: Whether the unforgiveness is against someone else, or you, how long have you been holding on to it? Hours? Days? Months? Years?
Probably years. How many more years do you want to allow the incident to affect you and your life? At what point do you decide you’ve had enough and want to break the enslaving connection? That you want out. That you choose freedom. Maybe, now?
Jesus says to us:
“Forgiveness reveals you are stronger than anything that happens to you from an outside source. You are of God within God. That is what is of import and nothing else. You are of God, in God, one with God. You are magnificent!”
Jesus. Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life. p. 343. Cathey, Carolyne 2015
The statements sounds easier than it is to actually believe them and act on them. Especially, when the one abusing you is a charming sociopath. If so, and even if not, be sure to read…
Next: Healing Guilt, Shame and Regret, Part 7: Consider: When you don’t forgive, who or what controls you?
Excerpts from Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life, p, 339-343. Cathey, Carolyne. 2015
(To be continued)
Previous Posts: Healing Guilt, Shame and Regret
Healing Guilt, Shame and Regret, Part 1
Part 3: Me Worthy? But my mistakes!
Part 5: How do I forgive when I’m still hurt and angry?
Healing Guilt, Shame and Regret, Part 5: How do I forgive when I’m still hurt and angry?
Forgiveness is probably the most difficult challenge of all to address, analyze and put into action…There might be raw pain and anger and regret buried so deeply within you that only Divine Power can help you sort through and release it. You might not feel as if you want to release it – ever!
You might feel you want to hang on to the righteous indignation and the burning inside – the addictive anger that lets you know you’re alive.
If the anger and regret is against yourself, you might feel you don’t deserve to release it, that for your punishment you should suffer the agony for the rest of your life.
You might experience fear when you think of forgiving. But fear of what? Fear of being hurt again? Fear of losing the imaginary protective shell you’ve built around yourself to make yourself invisible, vainly hoping the shell hides from others your fear or shame or weakness or guilt, or…
You might feel you lose your identity when you forgive, that somehow your righteous indignation or regret is who you are, that people feel sorry for you – the victim – making you noticed and cared about, less invisible, and that if you don’t hold on to that identity, you won’t know who you are anymore, you will have lost an importance or something unnamable you won’t know how to get back and will feel adrift.
You might be angry with God or have turned your back on God, because if there was a God, then why didn’t God help you in your time of need? Why did God help others and not you? How could you love a God that didn’t love you enough to stop what happened?
Might any of that sound familiar and fit in with the angst inside you?
Why forgiveness? Why does it matter?…There might be instances or injustices in your life where forgiveness seems impossible – anything from a lost child, or a murder, or a rape, or sexual or physical abuse, or a debilitating illness, or unfairness in your career, or betrayal, or a cheating spouse, or bullying at school, or bullying at home…and the list continues. There are many past or current issues where you might feel you cannot ever, ever forgive that person, or circumstance, or yourself – or God. If so, please remember…
FORGIVENESS IS FOR YOU, THE FORGIVER, not for the perpetrator.
Excerpt from Divine Messages from Jesus for a magnificent life, p, 337. Cathey, Carolyne. 2015
(To be continued)
Next: Healing Guilt, Shame and Regret, Part 6: When you don’t forgive, who is hurt?
Previous Posts: Healing Guilt, Shame and Regret
Healing Guilt, Shame and Regret, Part 1
Part 3: Me Worthy? But my mistakes!
TRUTH 