“No ill will intended, no ill will received”
I repeated this to myself for the first 4 miles of my run yesterday. It was as if I needed to feel the detachment from others' words, projections, and opinions: I needed to believe that no one is out to get me.
You see, we have a tendency to trip over ourselves by embodying others' beliefs, thoughts, and feelings. This will cause confusion, disharmony, and misalignment within ourselves. Yet, we have a tendency to care about opinions outside of us and even take them on as our own.
When really, they have nothing to do with us, and when we embody them, we lose a part of ourselves by believing we are serving them (the outside influence) then we get frustrated when we realize we are blocking our blessings because we are not in alignment with ourselves.
*Enters resentment*
And the cycle continues... Until we welcome detachment in!
The truth is, we don’t know (for certain) others' demons, what they are going through, healing from, or their current circumstances. Even the ones closest to us, we can never comprehend or actualize what it’s like to walk in their shoes: It's not our responsibility. All we can know is our own, and even then, there may not be complete awareness of our demons, wounds, and thought patterns. So who are we to try on others?
I say all that to say when in conversation, commune, or relationship with anyone; lead with an open heart, compassion, and a willingness to detach from anything they might say. Most people are not outwardly (consciously) seeking to hurt, trigger, or disempower those around them. In fact, most of us will argue having good intentions for what we share, yet it still could not land with the other party.
My dear friend Kellen often reminds me of her mantra, “It’s not about me”. This releases us of the ownership we take over others' opinions, judgments, and insecurities.
When we practice detachment from those we love, colleagues, or even strangers, we can find a deeper peace within. Compassion for ourselves and others will allow us to free ourselves from others' words, opinions, and belief systems so we can live into our truest Being.
No ill will intended, no ill will received. - a new mantra to take on to be who we are and do what we love regardless of the outside noise.
