Difficult People

When a challenging person appears in your life, it can be a major moment of healing and growth. These experiences are usually not fun in the typical sense of the word, but they can give you a chance to heal at deeper levels than you would have otherwise. I like to believe that the person is there to teach you about yourself and about love, even if they are showing up as something else in that moment. Difficult people are made from love, too.

The story of the “Little Soul and the Sun” from Conversations with God illustrates this amazingly. The basic moral of the story is, “in the absence of what you are not, what you are, is not.” It seems confusing but it makes sense if you sit with it for a bit. When people show up to challenge us, it is a chance for us to know ourselves as love – love of ourselves, and love of the other. It may also be a chance for a lot of other things! In my life, difficult people have often taught me about creating strong boundaries, loving myself, and being kind to myself, as well as seeing the light in the other.

Today, if you encounter a difficult person, I hope you can stay centered in your heart and your light. I hope you can know that you are love, and that you are also loved and loving. It can feel painful, but it is temporary, and you can return to yourself in each moment by anchoring yourself to your heart and to God.