SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS
There is a Chinese proverb that says our
conscience is like a sharp triangular piece of metal in our
hearts. When we do something against nature or our karma, the
triangle of metal turns and causes us sharp pain. However,
over time, should we continue to go against our conscience,
the edges of the metal slowly wear down and we not longer feel
any guilt about what we do.
It isn’t all that easy to live up to our
principles and values when they are challenged. It is very
easy to let things slide, especially if, on a daily basis, we
are not conscious of what we stand for. I made two significant
mistakes this past week. I made my amends and then called a
couple of friends for absolution. That is the great thing
about friends. They do those sort s of things for you.
Here are some of the things that I learned,
which were certainly reinforced. Perhaps they may speak to you
as well.
Because it is very easy to be
self-righteous, I really do have to question my motives and
needs on a regular basis. Delaying an action because it is
uncomfortable only makes matters worse. Acting too quickly on
the other hand, does not always give you the needed time to
address what buttons of yours have been pushed and why.
I rarely have a strong negative reaction
to someone but when I do, I really need to take a long hard
look at what is triggering in me.
Don’t ever say, I would never do that. You
probably will do a variation at some point.
Admitting your mistakes is not all that
hard. Making appropriate amends is harder and going back to
the ways things were is virtually impossible.
Being true to yourself is easier said than
done.
If you act, you have to be prepared to
live with the coincidences and take responsibility for your
part in what subsequently transpires.
Most of us don’t like confrontation, even
if we do sometimes provoke it.
Knowing my motives may not always stop me
from doing something that goes against my espoused values.
Not everybody is going to like you or
approve of your actions. Try to be true to what you think is
responsible, kind and respectful. Being respectful is
trickiest if you are trying to meet your own needs first.
I told you what I learned, but really the
above are things that I already knew and were once again
validated. What did I really learn about myself? This wasn’t
about right or wrong or ethics or values or justice. It was
about my being far more self-righteous that I ever thought
possible. I would have done things differently if I had asked
myself first – what is the respectful thing to do.
Guess what? I haven’t arrived after all.
The good news is that perhaps I have made one more step
forward in my journey.
Silence equals death.
~ Unknown
You are not what you think you are; what you
think, you are.
~ Unknown
I'm not okay; you're not okay; and that's
okay.
~ Virginia Satir
Whoever is careless with the truth in small
matters cannot be trusted with important matters.
~ Albert Einstein
================
TECHNICAL TIP ===============
SCAMS AND FRAUDS
I constantly tell people to ignore virus
warnings, because 99% of them are a hoax. There are also other
types of scams on the Internet. This month I want to warn you
about one fraud in particular.
Be very cautious if you receive an e-mail,
letter, or some other communication that seeks to convince you
to call a number in the 809 area code. The message is always
urgent. The 809 area code is similar in concept to 900
numbers. You get charged either per call or by the minute.
The problem is that the 809 area code is in
a foreign country (the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean)
and, thus, is not covered by United States law. And since you
made the call voluntarily, it's very difficult to get the
phone company to reverse the charges. The way to fight this
scam is to simply refuse to call any unknown phone numbers in
the 809 area code.
Beer for the downsized:
The Irish beverage company Guinness is
offering up to 10 years of free beer for their laid-off
employees. Workers get about 14 bottles a week to go along
with a considerable monetary severance package. "It is an
unusual settlement, but then this is the first time we've had
to shut a factory," Guinness's director of corporate
affairs, Pat Barry, told London's Guardian newspaper. "We
hope this can help soften the blow."
(As reported in Workforce Week, June 10-16,
2001)
Top