Turning the Other Cheek by Fran Hafey.

What does it mean to turn the other cheek? When someone has slapped you, hurt you, or done something that's not so nice, do we always turn the other cheek, expecting more? Or do we learn from our mistakes and prevent it from happening again?

Many people believe by being nice creates good karma or brownie points, for our next lives perhaps. But there is a difference in creating good karma and protecting ourselves from those types of people that would take advantage of us.

I have experienced this time and time again. I have witnessed people that have deliberately used me or slapped me in the face and then returned thinking I would be as naive as I was before. There are different ways to deal with some folks, but some you just have to be up front with. This is also called, taking back your personal power. You have the right to protect yourself and not allow people to use you as a doormat. Being nice, polite and easy going, is one thing, but letting others abuse you and your good nature is another.

I have many times allowed someone to take advantage of me, and I let it slide, hoping this person would learn from it. But, we must remember by confronting them, speaking our truth and feelings, is not a negative thing. We can handle it with love. We can be firm and simply state the way it is.

The interesting part is how we handle it and how they choose to handle it. Many people that are not mature in their Spirituality, will see our confrontation as a threat. They may not understand that it's our right to protect ourselves, and our job. It's not anyone else's responsibility to take up for us. Just like it's not up to anyone else to make us happy. That's our job too. When we do the things to protect ourselves and make it clear we are standing up for our rights, we show people we are Spiritually mature.

We can be polite and nice until the sun goes down, but if we regret something we have said or done, or not done, then we only have ourselves to blame.

If you're in a situation, dealing with energy that bothers you or doesn't feel right to you, then do something about it. It may not be easy, but when we give it to Spirit to handle, we can rest assure that answers will come, we just have to be aware and watch and listen for them.

If you're dealing with an abusive person, whether it's verbal, physical, mental or Spiritual, there is always something that can be done to change things. You may not see it, and may not have hope, but share it with your higher power and believe that things can change, and they will, and remember, our timing is not always the same as the Universe.

Changing how we feel about something is the first step. Taking a long look at a relationship and asking our selves, if it's productive, positive and enjoyable, is very important. Some people may be going through a rough time, and are also growing, so by asking Spirit/God to help us, we can then received the help we need in how to go about handling the situation, as in all things in our lives.

So, if someone has stepped on your toes or has slapped you across the cheek, don't just turn the other cheek and expect it to go away, it may not. Let them know how it affected you, show them the peace and love you have in your heart by helping them see more clearly, that that is not acceptable behavior for your friendship or relationship. But first, give it to Spirit/God and let the answers lead you to the perfect things to say and do. As long as it's done with love in your heart and spirit, it's for the higher good, for both of you.