You are a reflection of yourself; what you do will always return to you, whatever it may be. When you treat someone well at one moment, but that person does not reciprocate your kindness, at another time, someone else will treat you in the same manner you treated the previous person. Perhaps this time, you might not respond in the same way they did for you.
The dynamics of life will always be like this. When you do less than what someone else has done, it might be that you are not truly in a good place at that moment to match their treatment. Conversely, when you are happy and treat many people well, but there is one person who makes you feel that their contribution does not equal yours, it could be that they are going through a difficult time. Life will continue this way, and it is natural for it to be so. You might even consider yourself a test for your parents, just as they may sometimes seem like a test for you.
There is nothing wrong with what happens around you because “good emerges from the suffering of wrongdoing.” If you understand this, the most important person to treat well is yourself. Forgiving others is not for the sake of those you forgive, but for your own peace, as it allows you to let go of someone who is not worth holding onto. If you don’t do this, you will never find peace with your situation.
I once heard, “A damaged iron is damaged by itself.” Although I think about how that iron may have been left to face the sun and rain without being moved to a place that could preserve it longer, I remember that “iron is created strong, not to be protected, but to strengthen.” Stay within your limits; pursue what you want to pursue, but remember that the person you should compare yourself to is yourself. Awareness comes from the pain when a person realizes that their actions have caused harm to themselves, only then will they understand that what they have done has been detrimental.
When you find yourself confused about what to do next, it means it is time for you to take that time for yourself. Rather than worrying about what has not yet happened, it is better to do what is already due without thinking about what shouldn’t be.
Ruswanda Clarck Oct 03 2024