Taken by a Taker?

When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”     Fred Rogers

There are givers in this world, and there are takers. There are perpetrators, and there are helpers. I know what kind of person I want to be, and I actively practice being that person on a daily basis. Part of being her is the daily concentration on those things for which I can feel true, deep gratitude. A daily gratitude practice keeps me in the flow of positivity, which seeks to leave no room for irritants.

Irritants have sneaky ways of getting into my days, however. It’s all part of the practice: see them, recognize them, get rid of them. One of the nastiest pebbles in my shoe comes in the form of friendship when that friendship is simply a cover for taking advantage of my desired kind nature. It happens to everyone. Someone comes into your life and a friendship is formed. There may be some oddities, but they are easily ignored in the name of the vision of what need within myself this friendship might be able to address.

If it’s transactional, is it a true friendship? Does it affect my usual good nature and self-esteem? Sometimes, saying “good-bye” is the best way to be a helper to myself, and ultimately to others. If I know how insidiously I can be taken, I am in a better position to be a helper to someone who knows something is off, but doesn’t know what to do or how to respond.

There are large problems in the world, and there are small difficulties in life. In everything, I am grateful that I can choose to offer a higher vibration to all involved. It starts right here, with me.