Watching Karma Play Out

[Halloween]

Karma means "action." That's the extent of it.

 

[GotH]

What do you think it is with people like this lady? Why do they always come out smelling like a rose? Or is it building up to just be piled on her later? (which I hope not, honestly). I don't like her, but I do feel very sorry for her--which is why I put up with her being in the group when we all do get together. She's been a part of this group before I even joined in with them, but from what I understand, she has always been this way and the others just put up with it. *sigh*

Just because you aren't witnessing anything negative coming back to her doesn't mean there isn't any. She may be very good at hiding it. People usually reflect their own emotions and self worth at others.

I know you're an empath CN. You said that you don't like her but you feel sorry for her.. This tells me that you know deep inside this woman must be going through hell in some way. This also tells me that her hell is quite different from the hell she projects at others and this is why it's not visible. There's enough torture going on within that isn't being displayed.



Speaking of torture. I just got back from the Instruments of Torture museum yesterday! Wow. I would have shared some of these horrible yet fascinating devices big and small but photography was not allowed.

 

[celticnoodle]

I've been wondering about this too as some awful people never seem to have experiences to change their awful behavior. Maybe that is the punishment in itself. My thought is that people that do that are at base deeply insecure. They derive their self worth from trying to bring others down. How sad it must be to be them, right? So, outwardly it may appear that they are gliding through life with no negative consequences for the harm they do, but the bigger picture is look at who they are and what their mental space is like to engage with others in that way.

yes, true. and, I have thought of this. This is one reason I do feel sorry for her, becuase I feel that she is very, very insecure-and bringing others down does make HER feel better, which is extremely sad.

I don't know that I've seen hard evidence that every negative cause has a negative effect and although it would be great if there was cosmic atonement in all of these situations, but I don't see that happening either. I think the best approach is to stand in your power. You only have control over your actions and I have found that narcissists and bullies hate being ignored. If you walk away from them or rob them of the response they desire that is the best way to deal with it.

oh yes, I also know some narcissists who do mean things for being noticed. This woman above, maybe a narcissist too--but is definitely a bully.

I heard something recently that stuck with me. People in our lives are either a mirror, a crystal ball or an angel. Meaning they show you something within yourself that you need to work on/heal, they show you who you might become or what might happen (think violence, legal action, etc.) if you continue involvement with them or they bring you a message that is helpful to you.

well, I don't know if I fully agree with this or not. I do believe that people like this (and I know a few in my life) are probably a test for you spiritually--but I can't say they are showing in you something within yourself--unless it is to be patient even with the hardest and nastiest of beings, perhaps.

I hope some of this helps you as I know this is a difficult situation. For me, I physically and emotionally walk away from negative people. If there is the slightest hint that they don't know how to process their insecurities in a healthy way ultimately they will rob you of your joy and bring you nothing but pain. If you are a healer you will attract these type of people, so it is in your best interest to be very aware of this dynamic and protect yourself first and foremost.

I also do my best to physically and emotionally now to walk away from negative people. But, the person I was speaking of lives out of state from me. I do however, go back to the state to visit others there--who are connected to her, and so she ends up being in the group. I'm just thankful that I only have to deal with her once in a great while. My mother is also extremely difficult. I do believe SHE (my mom) is a narcissist. When she acts up, (and again, I don't visit her much anymore), I can leave because I stay at a hotel and can do so. When she acts up on the phone--I just tell her I am not going to listen to her anymore and I'm going to hang up and if she continues, I say "goodbye" and hang up. It took me awhile to get to that point to do this to her, but I realized I had to do this. Thanks for your thoughts.

Just because you aren't witnessing anything negative coming back to her doesn't mean there isn't any. She may be very good at hiding it. People usually reflect their own emotions and self worth at others.

yes, this could be true.

I know you're an empath CN. You said that you don't like her but you feel sorry for her.. This tells me that you know deep inside this woman must be going through hell in some way. This also tells me that her hell is quite different from the hell she projects at others and this is why it's not visible. There's enough torture going on within that isn't being displayed.

this is why I sometimes feel even worse, because as an empath, I think I should realize that she must be going through a sort of hell inside and I should be more supportive of her. But, honestly, at times when I hear her name or know she will be in the group, or know I have to come in contact with her, I get filled with dread and my stomach even begins to churn and hurt me! Then, I feel guilty because I should be able to overcome this and give her the love and support she needs. She just drains me though.

Speaking of torture. I just got back from the Instruments of Torture museum yesterday! Wow. I would have shared some of these horrible yet fascinating devices big and small but photography was not allowed.

I went to one of those once many, many years ago. OMG, it was quite interesting in a hauntingly way, isn't it?

Thanks for your post here too, GotH.

eta: I just remembered that one time I gave this person a nice rose quartz in hopes that it might help them to chill out and be nice. I never see it at her home, though, and sometimes wonder if she melted it with her negative energies.

 

[GotH]

I went to one of those once many, many years ago. OMG, it was quite interesting in a hauntingly way, isn't it?

Okay so here's one device, a mask to be exact, that I can't forget from my tour. It's just so ugly and humiliating that I can't forget the way it effected me. I searched for it on the internet and found it so I'm sharing here. This device was used when women were supposedly talking out of turn when men were speaking or when women were caught being gossipy. They would get the woman and set her up in the middle of town and place a mask like this on her for some time. Notice the "open your ears and bite your tongue" symbolism of this mask. I'd say this was a major form of controlling the actions of women.

http://cdn2.vtourist.com/4/4840506-..._Kriminal_Museum_Rothenburg_ob_der_Tauber.jpg

Here's another I saw. Ick!

http://www.theladytravels.com/wp-co...rague-Museum-of-Medieval-Torture-Pig-mask.jpg

 

[EmpressArwen]

Okay so here's one device, a mask to be exact, that I can't forget from my tour. It's just so ugly and humiliating that I can't forget the way it effected me. I searched for it on the internet and found it so I'm sharing here. This device was used when women were supposedly talking out of turn when men were speaking or when women were caught being gossipy. They would get the woman and set her up in the middle of town and place a mask like this on her for some time. Notice the "open your ears and bite your tongue" symbolism of this mask. I'd say this was a major form of controlling the actions of women.

http://cdn2.vtourist.com/4/4840506-..._Kriminal_Museum_Rothenburg_ob_der_Tauber.jpg

Here's another I saw. Ick!

http://www.theladytravels.com/wp-co...rague-Museum-of-Medieval-Torture-Pig-mask.jpg

omg...wtf.

Disturbingly, I saw a very similiar mask (as the pig one) in an "adult" store one time. People got issues, man.

 

[G6]

well, I don't know if I fully agree with this or not. I do believe that people like this (and I know a few in my life) are probably a test for you spiritually--but I can't say they are showing in you something within yourself--unless it is to be patient even with the hardest and nastiest of beings, perhaps.

Yes, I would agree it wasn't an all inclusive list of how people show up in our lives, just something interesting to think about. For me, I don't think negative/hurtful people are like me, but they are showing me and hopefully them the wisdom or strength I have in dealing with them or as you put it they might be a spiritual "test" of sorts.

 

[celticnoodle]

Yes, I would agree it wasn't an all inclusive list of how people show up in our lives, just something interesting to think about. For me, I don't think negative/hurtful people are like me, but they are showing me and hopefully them the wisdom or strength I have in dealing with them or as you put it they might be a spiritual "test" of sorts.

Yes, this is how I believe it is. But wow! what a test!

 

[celticnoodle]

Okay so here's one device, a mask to be exact, that I can't forget from my tour. It's just so ugly and humiliating that I can't forget the way it effected me. I searched for it on the internet and found it so I'm sharing here. This device was used when women were supposedly talking out of turn when men were speaking or when women were caught being gossipy. They would get the woman and set her up in the middle of town and place a mask like this on her for some time. Notice the "open your ears and bite your tongue" symbolism of this mask. I'd say this was a major form of controlling the actions of women.

http://cdn2.vtourist.com/4/4840506-..._Kriminal_Museum_Rothenburg_ob_der_Tauber.jpg

Here's another I saw. Ick!

http://www.theladytravels.com/wp-co...rague-Museum-of-Medieval-Torture-Pig-mask.jpg

Sheesh, GotH. I don't really recall this one--but as I said it was many years ago that I went to this museum. So, I may have forgotten it. I do recall seeing a stretching machine--that was used to torture people. they'd tie them in it and turn the wheel to stretch them out--but I imagine all it really did was pull their arms and legs out of their sockets.

 

[celticnoodle]

btw, I found in my library a book by the Dalai Lama, that I forgot I even had. It is titled "How to Practice The Way to a Meaningful Life". I have read it quite a few times, and have decided to re-read it. It is a great little book and it speaks of karma a lot through out the book. I highly recommend it I find it an easy book to read, too. It's only 223 pages, and these pages are short, as well as including exercises to do to obtain a meaningful life. You can always skip over the exercises, if you wish to do so.

anyway, in Ch. 5, he speaks of dealing with difficult people/situations. He mentions that to develop the practice of compassion to its fullest extent, one must practice patience. (I know I lack that! I've been told numerous times by my spiritual guides that this is why I am here in this life time, to learn patience. I think I may have to repeat my reincarnations to be able to learn that, because I am not getting it! )

He goes on further to say that if the practice of patience really moves your mind and brings about a change, you will begin to see your enemies as the best of friends, even as spiritual guides.

So, I guess those 2 people who stress me out are my spiritual guides so to speak.
I do try hard to be patient with them. I pray for patience whenever I have to deal with them, and I pray for strength for me not to one of these days jump up and strangle them! I also pray for them to change. To see the beauty and joy in life and in other people around them Though, apparently, I also need to see this myself---IN THEM!

The D.L. then speaks of Shantideva and gives an example of his reflections on this issue. It says,

For practitioner of love and compassion, an enemy is one of the ost important teachers. Without an enemy, you cannot practice tolerance, and without tolerance, you cannot build a sound basis o compassion. So in order to practice compassion, you should have an enemy.

Makes sense to me.

I also find it funny how I finally shared my thoughs re: this woman, here, and when I did, I will honestly admit, a feeling of 'uh-oh' in my body began to build up. Sort of a stressful feeling, and they are not even AROUND me right now! But this is the effect they have on me. Then, I go up into our library to have a look around and to 'tidy up' a bit there, and this book nearly jumps right out of the shelves and into my arms.

I think my heavenly spiritual guides lead me to our library and did their best to throw the book at me. Its a wonder they didn't use it to hit me upside the head with! So, I did bring it with me to the vacation home and intend to read it this weekend. I have, as I mentioned, read this many, many times over the years--and apparently, I need to re-read it again. Hopefully this time it will sink into me--the lessons it has to share with me about dealing with people who are negative--and esp. with the 2 I mentioned in this thread.

Maybe there is hope for me yet, that this will be my 'last' incarnation?

 

[Glass Owl]

I heard something recently that stuck with me. People in our lives are either a mirror, a crystal ball or an angel. Meaning they show you something within yourself that you need to work on/heal, they show you who you might become or what might happen (think violence, legal action, etc.) if you continue involvement with them or they bring you a message that is helpful to you.

I really like this approach. I think that there is always a lesson of some kind that we can learn from those that come and go in our lives. For me, sometimes it is hard to see the lesson or I just don't "get it" so then it gets repeated.

If you are a healer you will attract these type of people, so it is in your best interest to be very aware of this dynamic and protect yourself first and foremost.

Yes, I agree. Sometimes it seems like we end up attracting the thing we are trying to avoid as well.