Activities

Changing Our Reactions
When People Express Criticism or Hate to Us

This activity has been extracted from the Ask the Author response to -
Reinterpreting events that we once defined as criticism, hate, negativity and malice as God’s child simply asking for help, comfort, and love in the best way they know how.

... Understanding that the power to change lies within is the first step in taking control over your perceptions, over how you choose to view the world.

Imagine a God of love, and of only love. Imagine us, all of us, being an extension of this God. Imagine if this love was all that we are. Imagine if we communicated with each other through different expressions of this love. How would it come across? Imagine if its ‘positive’ expression was the act or sharing of love and the ‘negative’ expression was the call or search for this love. Thus, imagine if any time we reacted ‘negatively’, be it through expressions of criticism, hate, malice or fear – all we were really doing was asking, calling or searching for love in the best way we knew how. For my friend, when a baby or young child cries, what is it that they are really asking for? Regardless of the reason they have, are they not asking, by their actions, to be comforted and loved? Have you observed young adults or adults in general behaving in this same manner, having through personal experience learned different ways of asking, calling or searching for comfort and love?

Do expressions of criticism, hate, malice, and all other negative expressions - not have fear and confusion as their base? Would you judge someone who is fearful and confused or would you try to hold and comfort them? Would you criticize a confused man on the street or would you look to help him? Would you antagonize a fearful child or would you hold and comfort him? When anyone, regardless of age, wakes up next to you scared because of a nightmare, do you judge and ridicule him or do you hold his or her hand, listen to what it is they have to say and reassure them that they are now safe.

Is it not gratifying to help bring peace to someone who was afraid; or bring comfort to someone who was confused? Would you not feel proud and honored that God had enough faith in you that He brought a scared or confused individual into your presence that you might turn the light on and remind this person that his nightmare is over and that he is now safe. For yes, my dear friend, God, out of six billion people, has chosen you to bring his child into the light. Wouldn’t you stand fearless and tall if you knew who walks besides you? If you knew who has chosen you, who has faith and trust in you to bring his children home, would you not stand confidently up and deliver? Trust that God stands not only with you but in you and whenever fear comes knocking at the door, laugh the fear away.

Imagine now, reinterpreting these events that you once perceived with hurt and fear as opportunities presented to you by God to assist a brother or sister in bringing them home. Imagine reinterpreting events that you once defined as criticism, hate, negativity and malice as God’s child simply asking for help, comfort, and love in the best way they know how. How would this simple reinterpretation within your mind change your life? You have tried it the old way long enough. Little by little, allow yourself to try it His way, and you will find your days beginning to be filled with more and more peace and gratitude.

If you would trust God and try it His way, would that negativity that you once saw your brother express, turn into a call for assistance, a call for love? Wouldn’t peace start replacing fear in your daily experience? Wouldn’t understanding replace criticism? Wouldn’t love replace hate, and wouldn’t kindness replace malice? Wouldn’t your increased confidence replace your self-doubt, and wouldn’t hope and gratitude replace the hurt you once felt?

My dear friend, imagine the unending gratitude you would feel for any person who comforted your child during difficult times. Imagine the appreciation you would show a stranger for bringing your lost child home. Now multiply this a thousand times and that is the gratitude and appreciation God has for you every time you listen to and answer a child of God’s call for help, assistance and love - with help, assistance and love.

Read more Spiritual / Self Development Activities which cultivate the concepts in the book 'You Have Chosen to Remember' - including Forgiveness, Embodying Your Godself, Developing Peace of Mind, and more.

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