it rained all night and i slept through the lightening and thunder. it was a blissful sleep. i woke up to find a scathing comment about my blog: “stop ruining my city with your AWFUL blog”. whoa. wait, whaaaaaaa?! i hadn’t even had my first fucking cup of coffee yet and i gotta deal with some hater? GREAT. i was taken aback and to be honest, it hurt – like being punched in the stomach by a stranger you don’t know, for no reason. and so, for those of you who don’t know me, here’s a little background: i’m a peaceful, loving person. i’ve spent much of my life seeking a new way of living, a way that is not the typical “warrior culture” mentality. in short, i like to just be nice, be kind and surround and seek those out who want the same existence for their lives. drama and conflict aren’t my jam and this little ‘ol blog is my creative expression on this pale blue dot.
i started ‘the trouble with lisa’ at the suggestion of James Pennebaker, a professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas. i was at a psych department party at his house a few years ago and found myself crying on his couch about a few twists and turns my life had taken that i hadn’t quite, um…expected/accepted. i’d never met Prof Pennebaker before, but we took an immediate liking to one another and as he counseled me that evening he told me to write – to write for my life – that it depended on it. i was so low and so down and sad that i really listened, really heard what he was saying.
and thus the trouble with lisa.
what i understand now (that i didn’t then), is that there are people that are going to “get” you and there are people that simply won’t. the trick is to find your people, find your tribe. another of my mentors – the amazing Douglas Drane – puts it like this: 99% of those you encounter won’t get you, but 1% will – and that 1% – they are your people. 1% may not seem like a lot, but it’s enough. these are the ones that really matter, that will lift you higher, will inspire you, enlighten you and see you – really really really see you. know what i mean?
although her words stung, i understood that she wasn’t one of my people. i felt relief at this understanding and quickly sent her a message of love and kindness. it seems like maybe she needed it.
in the end, she’s helping me understand that it isn’t how you handle praise, it’s about how you handle criticism, disappointment and negativity.
she helped me. and i hope that somehow, someday, this awful blog will help you, too.
;o)
peace out.
©littlebrownbutterfly