Encountering difficult people is an inevitable part of life. Whether in professional settings, family dynamics, or social interactions, we often face individuals whose behavior tests our patience and peace. It’s part of our life journey to encounter people who are different from us, or in some cases “difficult.” But, we have to understand that just because someone “isn’t the way I want them to be,” that doesn’t mean that I have to label that person as difficult.
The truth is that we are all living and experiencing our lives based on what we’ve had to encounter and go through in life. We each have our own glasses of the way in which we view the world. We don’t know how much pain others are experiencing. How much their “paradigm glasses” have had to endure or how much pain they’re dealing with today. On the other hand, we ourselves have our own pain that we oftentimes carry, and we end up being triggered by people or our own thoughts therefore reacting based on “ what feels right to us.”
When we can understand that we all react and are triggered by different pain, experiences and expectations that “we believe are right for us” We forget to have compassion for ourselves and others. We forget to create a space to realize that often times the reactions of others come from the inner turmoil and pain that they or we may be experiencing. So, we must be humble and willing to acknowledge that we don’t know what anyone is truly experiencing and we must PRACTICE having a little more compassion for ourselves and others.
As we go through life we must try to gain more wisdom, inspiration and the tools that can help us to handle these challenging relationships gracefully. Here are some ideas that can help us to navigate interactions with “difficult people” or people who are “not my way.”
1. Embrace self awareness, inner peace & connect with your inner self. One of the most important tools that we have is the importance of the understanding of the self as a soul. Recognizing yourself as a soul or a being of peace, purity, and power, helps us to maintain inner stability. The world often tries to get us to forget the importance of our soul. But, as you are reminded that you have divine nature as a child of God. This will provide you with a foundation for treating yourself and others with respect and love. Take a moment to feel your connection with your Father in Heaven, your loving creator. Feel what thoughts come to you & notice the difference.
2. See beyond behavior: Every individual has a unique spiritual journey. Difficult behaviors often stem from inner pain or unresolved issues. Viewing others as souls on their path allows you to respond with empathy rather than irritation. We can remind ourselves that we all have our journey and that our Father in Heaven is very aware of each one of us on each individuals journey. There’s no need to compete or compare ourselves to others when we realize that our life journey is individualized. Made so that we each experience the ups and downs that will help us to reach the divine potential that God has for EACH ONE OF US. We can instead choose to see others as brothers and sisters. Having a desire to help them on their journey and to be a light to ourselves and others as we choose to and exercise charity, which is the pure love of Christ. That type of live changes the energies of people and as we practice it, it changes us too. 🙂
3. Regular meditation or moments to be introspective, calm our thoughts and slow down our breathing will strengthen our connection with our true self and the supreme and divine light of God. This practice cultivates inner peace and resilience, making it easier to remain calm during challenging interactions. We can instead CHOOSE TO PRACTICE inviting the light more into the situations that we encounter. 🫶🏼
4. Engage in Personal Prayer and Scripture Study: Personal prayer and scripture study are essential for maintaining spiritual strength and guidance. Turning to prayer for divine assistance in dealing with difficult people can provide comfort and direction. Sometimes in my prayer I ask God to help me heal my feelings toward the difficult people and situations in my life. I ask Him to cover that person or those situations with His light. & I try to fully see it in my mind being filled with His light and me knowing how to reach to that person or situation because on what God allows me to see during my time of prayer. The Scriptures or the word of God is also so important. It teaches us how to be better and RISE ABOVE the drama of the world. The word of God offers stories and counsel that can inspire patience and understanding.
5. Use Positive Affirmations:Positive affirmations is one of those things that we forget to use so often. But, practicing and rehearsing affirmations can be so healing for us. They can help reshape your mindset and responses. Repeating affirmations such as “I am a peaceful soul,” “I bless my relationship with the divine light of Christ” or “I choose love and understanding,” reinforces positive reactions to difficult situations. This is a type of mental workout or mental conditioning that helps us to foster a calm, positive and uplifting attitude.
Sometimes we encounter people who are extremely negative and it can feel challenging or very difficult to be around them. Often times we can work on ourselves being a positive energy for these people. We can practice having a more peaceful attitude toward them and being more Compassionate. Sometimes practicing that can help to dissipate those negative energies and allow them to be recharged from our positive energy. But often times that’s not the case, & our energy feels that strong negativity and we can take a moment to recognize that, take a step back and detach with love.
5. Detachment with love, means that we may need to maintain emotional distance without becoming indifferent. It means caring for others without getting entangled in their negativity. We can still be in their presence. We just detach from the emotionally draining energy. Still keeping our peace and the ability to CHOOSE how we feel. We can also choose to detach the negative thoughts that we have toward others. Sometimes we hold on to negative thoughts about people and we should try to question why we think that way and if we can detach those thoughts or let go of them in some way. The more that we let go of negative thoughts ourselves the better we will feel in our lives. We can send positive energy and love to those people, while also setting appropriate boundaries to protect our spiritual and emotional well-being. We just have to do what we’re willing to exercise and practice to better ourselves at these skills.
6. Another important concept for dealing with difficult people is allowing ourselves to Forgive and Release. Remembering that holding onto anger and resentment only harms me. 🙁 Forgiveness, a vital part of life. Forgiveness liberates us from past grievances and allows for emotional healing. Forgiveness is another beautiful Christlike attribute that frees us from the burdens or the pain of resentment and instead it opens the way for peace and reconciliation, which we all need, right?🫶🏼
7. Creating a peaceful space. Our environment significantly influences our state of mind. Creating a space where our surroundings promote peace and calm is so important. We can create simple changes like incorporating soft lighting, soothing colors, and peaceful music that can help create a sanctuary in our homes, cars or where we are as much as possible. Our environment and what we choose to listen to and watch can affect how we reach to people as well. Notice how you feel with what you watch and listen to. Creating a peaceful environment will mitigates the stress of difficult encounters. We can create a Christ-centered home, where the spirit of God can dwell and provide peace to our mind and soul.
8. & Last but not least, Radiate Positive Energy: Remember that our thoughts and vibrations impact those around us. Consciously emitting positive energy by maintaining thoughts of love, peace, and compassion. This subtle influence can transform the atmosphere and improve the behavior of difficult individuals. Remember that you get to choose if you want to be a light to others. We can do that by thinking good things, inviting peace and love to be with us in this relationship, to allow ourselves to feel connected to God and to share that love and peace that Christ provides us to be with us through our actions and even our very presence.
In life, we will all deal with difficult people. I fully believe that it’s part of the test of spiritual resilience and inner strength. I believe that someday God will ask us how we learned to handle these difficult people in our lives. He may ask us if we learned to love our enemies and do good to them that curse us and despitefully use us. That is the higher law of God. To reach a point where we know in whom we trust and where we stand with God that we can choose to RISE ABOVE the negativity and instead be more aligned to divine light that doesn’t just react. But instead, it’s compassionate, peaceful, loving, forgiving, self-aware, prayerful, and filled with light enough to positively influence those around us.
Remember, each interaction is an opportunity for spiritual growth. With the right approach, even the most challenging relationships can become sources of harmony and understanding. So, today, remind yourself “ I am a peaceful being” “the light that is in my influences and changes the negative energies around me” “Gods light has more power than the darkness that tries to come at me. My light is divine, I invite peace, love and light to be with me and in all of my encounters and relationships” The more that we consciously try to remind ourselves of our inner light, our alignment and whom we trust to help us through this. The better we will be able to overcome the “difficult people in our lives.”
Love you all and I hope that you can feel yourself re-charged with new insights on how to accept our differences and also be more Compassionate, kind and loving with yourself and others. Gods light will cover you, your relationships and your surroundings as YOU INVITE THAT LIGHT TO BE WOTH YOU AND ALLOW IT TO FILL YOUR MIND, HEART AND SOUL. ❤️
Hope to see you tonight in class at 7pm for an amazing opportunity to move your body and to have a wonderful meditation that will renew you, recharge you and leave you feeling amazing!!! ❤️🤗🙏🏼
