The Strength Of Compassion
Coming At Conflict With An Open Heart
Conflict is an unavoidable part of our lives because our beliefs and modes of being often contrast powerfully with those of our loved ones, acquaintances, and associates. Yet for all the grief disagreements can cause, we can learn much from them. The manner in which we handle ourselves when confronted with anger or argument demonstrates our overall level of patience and the quality of our energetic states. To resolve conflict, no matter how exasperating the disagreement at hand, we should approach our adversary with an open heart laden with compassion. Judgments and blame must be cast aside and replaced with mutual respect. Conflict is frequently motivated by unspoken needs that are masked by confrontational attitudes or aggressive behavior. When we come at conflict with love and acceptance in our hearts, we empower ourselves to discover a means to attaining collective resolution.
The key to finding the wisdom concealed in conflict is to ask yourself why you clash with a particular person or situation. Your inner self or the universe may be trying to point you to a specific life lesson, so try to keep your ears and eyes open. Once you have explored the internal and external roots of your disagreement, make a conscious effort to release any anger or resentment you feel. As you do so, the energy between you and your adversary with change perceptibly, even if they are still operating from a more limited energy state. Consider that each of you likely has compelling reasons for thinking and feeling as you do, and accept that you have no power to change your adversary’s mind. This can help you approach your disagreement rationally, with a steady voice and a willingness to compromise.
If you listen thoughtfully and with an empathetic ear during conflict, you can transform clashes into opportunities to compromise. Examine your thoughts and feelings carefully. You may discover stubbornness within yourself that is causing resistance or that you are unwittingly feeding yourself negative messages about your adversary. As your part in disagreements becomes gradually more clear, each new conflict becomes another chance to further hone your empathy, compassion, and tolerance.
Offline comments from a dear friend and a fellow student from Devry! :)
You want to know why you clash with Tracy? She feels that you are and that you always will be a threat to her and her relationship with Michael. From how you’ve describe her physically she, I’d be willing to bet good money, definately finds you to be a major threat! You are hot and she is not! You have a son with Michael, she does not (I know she has a daughter with him, but sad to say, in a general societal context, but sons still get more respect). In the end, I don’t think that there is anyway that you could not avoid this outcome. It’s not you or anything that you do, she will always view you in this manner.
Multiple partner relationships, I imagine, can be fantastic if everyone was able to overcome their own egos but in reality it seems that inevitably that’s easier said then done and somewhere along the way it becomes a power struggle and it only serves to amplify the already difficult task of sucessful human relationships.
amplify the problems associated with human relationships, and in particular the dynamic between a couple
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