DON'T KICK PEOPLE WHEN THEY ARE DOWN

By Vernalee

When people are down or “hard on their luck,” they need to be helped/picked up; not kicked further downwards! Why kick someone when they are already on the ground; be it physical or emotional!

Many of you may say, I’ll never do such a deplorable thing! My feet stay on the ground! If you look beyond the physical kick, have you kicked someone; perhaps emotionally? Have you kicked someone with derogatory language or via verbal abuse? A kick is a kick!

Remember this.

One interesting concept about courageous resilient folks when they are down is that many have the intestinal fortitude to eventually rise up! They may also have “not so fond” memories of your kicking foot! Remember … payback is not always kind! It will feel no different than the kick that you gave them! Photo credit: forums. stations.sony.com

FRIENDS OR ENEMIES - WHO SHOULD BE CLOSER?

By Vernalee

It hit me like a ton of bricks.

I would not in a million years have thought that the person in question could be that ruthless or sinister. Did you? She didn’t look like she would hurt a fly. How many times must we be reminded that looks are deceiving? So when I heard of the betrayal, I was flabbergasted; speechless to be exact! What hypocrisy! I don’t know why I was startled! Jesus was betrayed by one who was within his midst! Why would I expect anything different? Some folks asked, “How was this allowed to happen?” That question is rhetorical at best. We all know how closeness facilitates the removal of one’s inner fence. We let our guards down with folks that we feel that we can trust; people that we feel are 100% loyal and are on our side! We can all be fooled when perception (and not reality) is at work. After all, we don’t expect betrayal from people we trust; the group that purportedly love us – close friends, confidantes, family, spouses/significant others... Yes, these are the ones who become razor thin close; too close for comfort. When you let those guards down, remember “Familiarity does breed contempt.” It is easy to throw caution to the wind when we think that our close alliances are committed to our well being. When we realize that they are not who we think they are, we are crushed! In fact, our mistake is that we sometimes too quickly or indiscriminately placed them in our circle of trust. As the saying goes, “Know who’s in your boat. If they are drilling holes and not rowing, your boat will sink!” Here is what we need to do next: 1. Remove them. 2. Forget them. 3. Activate the alarm if they come too close. 4. Don’t become easy prey; “in range” target practice for the ill-intended. 5. Don’t mourn the loss of so-called friends; celebrate the fact that you identified who they were before it was too late. 6. Re-group – It is imperative that we “reboot; that we keep our guards up.” 7. Be equipped. We must daily wear our weighty protective gear, though heavy it becomes! 8. Follow wise advise. Sun Tzu, a Chinese military strategist used the expression that was coined by Al Pacino in his portrayal of Michael Corleone in the movie, “The Godfather II.” “Keep our friends close and our enemies closer.” Regretful it is when there is difficulty in discerning who’s who! Photo credit: www.futurelawyer.typepad.com

C'MON NOW. YOU KNEW THAT I WAS A SNAKE WHEN YOU PICKED ME UP

Being a prolific storyteller, allow me to tell you the story about the snake and his new found friend. You probably have heard it in some form or fashion. A man picked up an injured snake that was lying across the road. The man bandaged and nursed the snake back to good health. They lived harmoniously together for a spell. Then, one day out of the blue, the snake bit the man. Devastated, the man emotionally said, “I picked you up, nursed you back to health, fed and clothed you, and you bit me. Is this the thanks that I get?” The snake politely answered and said, “You knew that I was a snake when you picked me up!” Yes, that’s right; the snake talked; his actions spoke loud and clear for him! Wake up people! Stop thinking that you can change people. They can only change themselves. Don’t assume that one good turn deserves another! Just because you treat people right, it doesn’t mean that they will reciprocate. Some folks will turn on you, no matter what you do or have done for them! Things are not always what they seem. Be wise; watch your back. Need I add, watch your front and sides too! Beware of the snakes. They are everywhere… Metaphorically, they walk; they talk; they even sit … often times next to you. Occasionally, they are hard to detect. Disguises are one of their major forms of deception.

They pretend to be on your side, however they may dislike the very ground that you walk upon. Remember, it was the serpent that deceived Eve and filled her head with a lot of garbage that led to her and Adam’s demise. In addition to their convincing deception, they can be poisonous. Stay on the lookout!

Keep your guards up!

Stop imagining and pretending. You definitely don’t want to he bitten by a so called snake of a friend! It would be devastating. Photo credit: www.pinclipart.net