We’ve all encountered people who, having jumped to conclusions, experienced a bad day, or reacted from fear, lash out at us seemingly out of nowhere. It’s uncomfortable, sometimes hurtful, and occasionally downright bewildering. Yet if we approach life as a continuous exchange of messages, information, and insights, might even these challenging encounters offer us something valuable?
The first place to look is at the reflection. Does something in the other person’s behavior mirror an aspect of ourselves that is asking to be witnessed? Perhaps an old wound, an unconscious pattern, or a tendency we’ve yet to recognize. And if we look honestly and find that the behavior has little to do with us, another opportunity presents itself. We can observe the experience and consciously choose how we’d like to show up in the world.
Early in my spiritual journey, I made an appointment with a psychic who lived a few hours from my home. Unfamiliar with that part of the city and being generally directionally challenged, I managed to get thoroughly lost. I couldn’t find a convenient payphone to let her know I was running late, and by the time I arrived, I was about twenty minutes behind schedule. (This was long before cell phones and Waze came along to rescue people like me!)
She greeted me, explained that our session would need to be shortened because she had other appointments, and we began. I understood completely. Afterward, I made the two-hour drive home, grateful for the experience and unaware that another lesson was waiting for me.
When I arrived, there was a message on my answering machine. The psychic was furious. She had apparently concluded that my lateness meant I didn’t respect her time, that I was rude and inconsiderate, and she proceeded to let me have it. None of those assumptions reflected my intentions, and I was stunned by the intensity of her anger.
Yet something interesting happened. Rather than allowing the experience to harden me, I made a promise to myself. I would give my clients the benefit of the doubt, communicate clearly, and hold space for the unexpected twists and turns of being human. I wanted people who came to me for guidance or healing to feel welcomed, respected, and understood, especially when life had already made their day difficult.
That promise has served me beautifully over the years. There have certainly been occasions when I’ve needed to maintain a schedule or establish a boundary, but I’ve learned that clarity and kindness can coexist. We can honor our own time while extending grace to another person.
Looking back, I feel genuine gratitude for that psychic and the lesson she unknowingly offered me. Experiencing judgment and anger helped me recognize just how deeply I valued gentleness, patience, and compassion. Her response became an invitation to make a conscious choice about my own.
And perhaps that’s one of the gifts hidden within our more difficult encounters. Every person who crosses our path has the potential to teach us something, even when the lesson arrives in an unexpected and rather unpleasant package.
✨Blessing✨
May you recognize the wisdom hidden within life’s most challenging encounters.
May you embrace each lesson with discernment, compassion, and an open heart.
And may you honor the teachers who help you discover the teacher within.