Blessings in Disguise
The bird comes to us for another counseling session. Whenever our Falcon friend looks at his flaking legs and feet, his heart breaks in two...
We are already acquainted with the Flakefoot Falcon. In our endeavor to learn how to be at peace within, we examine the Ten Lessons of the Flakefoot Falcon. (1) Look for your good points; (2) Separate your weak points into two categories: those we control and those we cannot. Focus on those we can control. And we now continue…
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Lesson Number Three: The weaknesses that are out of your control are a blessing in disguise, to help you make spiritual growth and to channel you toward your real purpose in life. Resenting those weaknesses destroy your inner peace and keep you away from the truth.
For the sake of simplicity, we’ll return to our example of the Flakefoot Falcon:
A No-nonsense Counseling Session with a Flakefoot Falcon
The bird comes to us for another counseling session. Whenever our Falcon friend looks at his flaking legs and feet, his heart breaks in two. On the ground, he’s prone to anger and frustration. The worst thing he can do is to mope around and constantly berate himself, “Why can’t I have healthy legs and feet like all the other birds?”
Mr. Falcon, we tell him, you are not a run-of-the-mill bird; you are king of the sky. Rather than allow your anger and frustration to skyrocket, spread your wings and skyrocket yourself! When you’re airborne, your problematic feet and legs are tucked away, and you don’t even know they exist. In the air, your problem is neutralized, forgotten altogether!
The Falcon looks me straight in the face with those piercing eyes of his, and says, “Lazer, it’s easy for you to talk. You don’t suffer from my problems!” Dejected, he sticks his head in the ground.
Sometimes, with certain clients, you have to employ a tough approach in counseling. “Listen up, Flakefoot,” I say in sergeant major’s tone, “you’re not an ostrich, so get your face out of the ground. The Almighty gave you a pair of sophisticated cameras in your eye sockets that any NASA spacecraft would be proud of. Your head should be way up in the air, because you’re the king of the sky. Kings don’t berate themselves.”
The tough approach is working, so I continue: “Do you think you can run the world better than God can? OK, let’s see: If tomorrow morning, you’d wake up with healthy and attractive feet and legs, you’d be clowning around in the treetops with all the pigeons and crows. Do you think the Almighty needs another crow or pigeon, and one less Flakefoot Falcon? Do you think you’d be better off prancing around the pond like a swan or a flamingo? Would you prefer to be a Canadian goose and free game during hunting season?”
Sometimes, a counselor can literally feel God putting the right words in his mouth. I drive the point home, and tell the Falcon, “Your apparent handicap is really a blessing! Those flaky feet of yours keep you away from the chirpy little gossips around the pond and in the park. Your avian psoriasis forces you to cultivate your flying acumen. Thanks to your flaking feet, you’re the undisputed king of the sky. You birds are nearly extinct as is. Do you know how many tourists and birdwatchers you’ve inspired? Have you ever heard of a crow inspiring somebody? Come on, man – I mean, Falcon – cut the self-pity. Here, you’ve got clearance on runway two-five-nine; get up in the sky and show us your stuff.”
The Falcon makes his grand exit out of the open window, soars upward, and salutes us with his golden wings.
Lesson Number Four: Judge yourself fairly
Let’s now focus our attention on you, dear reader. Do you remember the lessons we learned in the previous chapter, about judging other people fairly? You’re just as important as the next person, so you deserve a fair trial in your own mental courtroom. Make sure that the attorney for the defense inside your head knows how to represent you. If he’s incapable of presenting all your attributes, then I’ll be happy to defend you. I can easily compose a long list of your superb qualities.
Now that you’ve learned to differentiate between those faults that are out of your control, and those faults that are within your control, you can begin to judge yourself fairly. Giving yourself a fair trial is the key to attaining inner peace, to overcoming guilt complexes, and to uprooting the anger you harbor at yourself.
To be continued…
(The Trail to Tranquility is available in the Breslev Store.)
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