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