Stepping Up To Bullies In A New Way

Most people believe that spiritual means never speaking up.  So they will see unjust behavior, meaning a bully at work, in a relationship, on the playground, in youth sports, and say nothing.  We are here to love and speak love. Love is inclusive not exclusive.   So the moment people exclude each other be rest assured that fear has come upon them.

So how do we incorporate the practice of stepping up in love? We incorporate by listening inward. Keeping your complete attention inside, so as not to be attached to outcome, story, or nonsense from others.  In this space of being inside of yourself, you allow awareness to guide the exchange, guide your life, and move you through difficulties.

For example, I gave a talk to a group of school kids on BULLYING.  After words I asked the bullies and those who had been bullied to stay.  Rather than making one group right and the other group wrong, I listened to both sides. Both hurt inside, and so as one of my friends told me, “hurt people hurt people.”  I opened our group up to a dialogue not a debate on the pros and cons of bullying.  What surprised me more than anything was what I learned.  What did I learn? I learned that love heals when you are present  with another, that being mindful now is the greatest gift you can give. There were lots of tears from both sides and several kids that  were angry. It is okay. I appreciated the openness and honesty.

So I asked the group, “What if you saw yourself in the other?”  The answers will stay between myself and the group.  As individuals, groups, we need to listen and have healthy dialogue with each other.  We preach love and yet we celebrate fear.  We need to start to accept, and we do that by deeply listening to ourselves and each other.

This Saturday I will be co-facilitating a dynamic workshop on loving yourself. In the workshop I will be incorporating a exercise to feel the love inside yourself. It is a powerful, life affirming exercise.   So I invite you to be still, and feel inside of you. Stop by if you want to the workshop in Burbank.  Bully is a label, and when we label we negate. So lets stop bullies and help them heal themselves in healing and help victims to be empowered again.  This is not impossible!

FALLING INTO LOVE- LOVE YOURSELF AGAIN