Enemies in Mind
Disliking me is no reason to consider you an enemy—I’ve been very dislike-able, which is a state likely to continue. You can even act offensively toward me. I might defend myself, but I’m done when that’s done.
I’m very aware that I can be a pain in the ass, and sometimes that offensive action is a lesson for me. Can’t get too mad at the gift of a lesson.
Part of the reason I don’t have enemies is because I know that an “enemy” is a projection of the mind.
I’ve lost count of how many times someone I barely knew has thought of me as an enemy, someone forced to react badly to me by my provocative existence. I’ve no idea how many times someone I’ve thought myself friendly enough with has thought of me as an oppressor. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve thought of someone as being deliberate and malicious, when they were actually just self-interested (and for the record, most of the time people are only thinking about themselves.)
I recently told someone trying to fight me outside that the only thing they were getting is a hug if we went outside. I’m just not that mad at anyone.
Annoyed, sure. But rage? Lasting ire? Shit, it’s been a minute.
The mind is full of those sorts of tricks, persuading people to believe in all sorts of things and waste tons of time and energy. It’s a favorite trick of the mind—convincing someone that everyone is out to get them, convincing them that everyone is thinking of them. People walk around miserable, looking for and finding (non-existent) proof that they should continue to be miserable and blame it on someone else.
The idea of having an enemy is a way to obsess you and steal your time, energy, and happiness. It keeps you preoccupied, distracting you from doing the things you need to do. It eats up your spare time, destroys your relaxation, and tries to prevent you from recognizing the divine in others.
People may be trying to hurt you. It happens, sometimes. We are wherever we are in this life, at this time.
You just don’t have to get worked up about it.
