"My Enemy is My Teacher"

This post from Metta Drum couldn't have come at a better time for me.

Daniel Collinsworth asks, "Who is your enemy? The one who talks down to you and criticizes your work? The one who treats you carelessly? The one who puts obstacles in your path and makes your life more difficult?"

That sounds like Kamen.

Collinsworth continues, "When I accept that I am responsible for my attitude and my actions, in the face of resistance from someone else. I do not pass this responsibility onto them. I stand strong in my own sense of stillness and peace.

"This is a far cry from defeat. This is, in fact, the ultimate victory: the victory over yourself. Here, you have transcended a layer of the story-telling ego and expanded into a state of liberation. Here, you have empowered yourself to act consciously and compassionately, because you aren’t locked into a game of me vs. them. And here, there is revolution and growth".

When I read these words, in my mind, I joyously screamed, YES!!!

I'm hurt, but I'm not angry. I accept what happened, how I feel and how he is acting. I accept my role in our (lack of) relationship. Instead of acting childishly & focusing on our fallout, I will move on and be happy and healthy.

Being the bigger person may not be as much fun as spilling his secrets (and believe me, there are juicy ones) or poking fun at his numerous flaws, but it does teach me how strong, decent and compassionate I can be.