A life with less fear...

I think I'm learning...slowly...to stop fearing bullies...

We all have to compromise...compromise is the nature of life...

But, as a part of that compromise...I'm prepared to give friendships a break, if need be, temporarily...I'm prepared to deal with whatever I might need to deal with to live a life, authentically, without fear dominating it...

I have to make compromises around basic needs...because I have no other choice...and even then, you can bet that I will be looking for ways to get away from bullies in my life...

Everything else...if you pressure me...I will try to understand your perspective...and I might be persuaded by you (though I might not, as well)...

But I will not be bullied...under any auspices...any more...

As with all lower impulses...I both understand the impulse to bully...and it disgusts me...that people would want to try to bully their way through problems...rather than dealing with them constructively, thoughtfully, with civility, and with respect for one another...

I have to hold out hope that the bullies of the world -- which are all of us, when we have a chance -- will not will out on this...

That like hitting and abusing children or spouses or loved ones...that this will pass away from our accepted modes of dealing with one another...

If you can't...to the best of my ability...I will ignore you...and leave you out of my life, temporarily, until you can take responsibility for yourself...and you'll definitely be hearing from me about it...

Until you give it up...

That goes for employers...and friends...and creditors...and anyone I deal with now and forever in the future...

Whatever needs to be done to make that kind of life possible...I will do...period...

And the truth is...though we are often hesitant to admit it...

That is how all of us live our lives, really...

Just quietly...some of us with more courage than others...

We are a dysfunctional lot, for sure...the human race, that is...

But we got a lot going for us too:):):)...

And if we stop rationalizing the things we do that hurt one another...

And get focussed on supporting one another to a better future...

We'll be in much better shape...

But if we can't cut out the bullshit...

Then our lives...individually...and together...will be miserable until we do:):):)...

Bullying doesn't make us bad people, I don't think...otherwise we all would be in pretty bad shape...since we all do it, in one form or another...even to ourselves, unfortunately (meaning beating ourselves up)...

Bullying is just a lower impulse...that needs to give way to a higher, more generous impulse...

To forgive...and to treat each other as decently and as least aggressively as we can manage...and as is needed...

And either way...when it's all said and done...we'll die...and they'll kick dirt on our faces...and that will be the end of that:):):)...

I plan on using my life wisely, in the meantime:):):)...

Have a great day, everyone:):):)...

Love,
Ben