Rise Above

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Whoever is trying to bring you down is already below you. ~Anonymous Revenge may seem like the right alternative to you at the time, but trust me when I say the act of revenge is never as sweet as the taste of forgiveness. Adjusting your attitude is a better way to spend your energy and is less expensive than the consequences you will pay for your acts. When I was a teenager, one of my close friends was betrayed by a boyfriend. This was total teenage drama, but as we all have experienced it, it can be seeminly devastating. As a teenager, you don't have the maturity to think it all the way through to the consequences - you just want to feel what you perceive as the joy of payback. Many thoughts cross your mind - back then we had the thought of slashing his tires on his brand new car that he presumable loved more than my friend. I basically had the bright idea that letting the air out of the tires was one less step from being criminal. I don't think I've ever told this story out loud. It is embarrassing to think about it let alone admit it now. Did we do it? Yes! We used a penny to let the air out of all 4 tires. The tires were salvageable, but he still had to get the car towed and it screwed up his day. Did we feel the immediate joy of payback? There was the initial thrill of doing something "wrong", almost getting caught, that quickly succumbed to immediate guilt and fear of not being able to go back on what we had done. To him, there was no mistaking that it was us. But he couldn't prove it. We didn't get caught, thank God. I admit this now not to encourage you to do something like this, I am merely trying to prove the point that it is not worth it. It didn't stop him from being a jerk to her. The situation became exacerbated, and never resolved. Of course I look back now and wish I hadn't done it. The moral of the story is RISE ABOVE. Whatever that person did, it is beneath you right where you are - so you don't need to stoop to their level or below.
<< ~Post for April 10th >>

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