Watch Your Back....

Gossip. Slandering reputations. Name calling. Judgement. Nope...I'm not discussing the latest episode of your favorite soap opera.  Those are some of those words that embodied my week.  Worse off, those words were tossed around about me.  Go ahead and gasp...because that's exactly what I did. Oblivious to the thoughts of a particular person, I was taken a-back, but the way I bounced back let me know I've the strongest that I've ever been and my personal growth is as apparent as the sunlight.

Lately, I been privied to information about things that were being said about me by a particular individual.  Not one for throwing anyone under the bus, I decided to keep my mouth shut and be more aware of this miserable person.  I kept thinking to myself "if I could just hear her myself, I'd be able to address it without involving anyone else."  Well, God had it so that he set up a situation where I had to go look for something in a place that I usually never go into.  As I was rifling through papers, the individual walked into an office and proceeded to speak of every aspect of me from the way I did certain things, to the way I look, to my door being shut, to the clothes that I wear, to the heels that I click down the hallway in.  As I stood there aghast, I contemplated walking into the room and exercising my less "demure" side, but I soon realized that, that is probably what she'd want me to do, and it would also make me look bad and unprofessional.  

As I went throughout my day, I was so upset that I physically became warm and snapped at innocent bystanders all around.  The most upsetting part was the fact that I truly never spoke ill of her.  Why do some people feel the need to bring others down for no particular reason?  What is it that is so unhappy inside that leads one to feel that the only way to evoke some happiness is to belittle others?  At that moment, when I realized that it was more of a deficiency in her than anything that truly had to do with me, I felt sorry for her.  

As sorry as I felt, I wasn't about to let it go unnoticed, so I set some things into motion that allowed her to know that her behavior wasn't okay and I wasn't going to accept it.  People can only do the things that you allow, so I made a point to have the situation addressed and hopefully, for her own sake, she got the message.  After I did that, I decided to release it.  Holding on to anger and frustration, only holds you down.  

For a few days, I felt like I had to "watch my back" because when you are betrayed, your guards come up and your trust goes all the way down, but as the situation played out, it taught me a valuable lesson.  When you're being genuine and true, you don't have to watch your back because God will watch it for you.  Things will work out in a way that has the situation take care of itself and more fluidly than you ever could.  The struggle may be uneasy, but I always advice others and try to live by this quote: Don't get caught up in the struggle; get caught in the lesson.  Lesson Learned. 

Until next time...keep the forward movement...