Your Battles
And good leaders never remove any of the people they have; they instead control them
Some people in your life make you wonder whether you should seek an apology from them or offer them forgiveness.
When they come into your mind, they can either disrupt your moment with heavy feelings, or you feel guilty as you missed many chances to clear the air between you and them. So now and then, you get angry and blame your pain on them, and other times you would understand the feeling and give excuses for their behavior and attitude.
Year after year, you wonder how they still linger in your thoughts when you were certain you had moved past them, left them in that same spot when you resolved to move forward and never glance back, when you told yourself to let them exist but at a distance.
During meditation or breathing exercises, you enter every fold in your brain, clearing it of all emotions, cleaning it from all these memories that hurt you, injecting it with good energy, and leaving it sparkling as new, feeling powerful and hopeful.
Still, in every second corner of your life, the memories surge back with mixed feelings and confusing energy.
These individuals remain for longer than a lifetime; they're entwined with you just as you are with them. They are the warriors in your life, fighting alongside and against you at the same time. They represent both the allies and adversaries in your personal battle..
These people are you, the honest, the respectful, the courageous, the kind, the loyal, the ethical, the compassionate, the faithful, the arrogant, the despicable, the greedy, the selfish, the narcissist, the coward, and many more. These people are inside you to fight the battle of your life, fighting for your life.
Once you recognize that these are your soldiers, you learn to become their leader. And good leaders never remove any of the people they have; they instead control them, give them missions to accomplish, strengthen those who are virtuous, and regulate those who are evil.
Nonetheless, great leaders offer apologies to themselves, and grant forgiveness when they need it.
Dana Obeid