Buddha was well known for his ability to respond to evil with good. There was a man who knew about his reputation and he traveled miles and miles and miles to test Buddha. When he arrived and stood before Buddha, he verbally abused him constantly, he insulted him, he challenged him, he did everything he could to offend Buddha. Buddha was unmoved, he simply turned to the man and said, “May I ask you a question?” The man responded with “Well, what?” Buddha said, “If someone offers you a gift and you decline to accept it to whom then does it belong?” The man said, “Then it belongs to the person who offered it” Buddha smiled, “That is correct. So if I decline to accept your abuse does it not then still belong to you?” The man was speechless and walked away.
This is a great strategy on how to deal with rejection. Don’t let someone else’s view destroy the way you feel about yourself. That doesn’t mean not to listen but don’t just accept their view either. We all have a right about our own perceptions and your perception of yourself is very important. This week use this strategy when you encounter people who reject or verbally abuse you and know that you don’t have to make their perceptions your own.
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