Don't Fight Your Boss

Shanti is a hard working woman, responsible and loving.  She works as a domestic helper for rich families. When you ask her she would tell you that she has the best job in the world.   She walks nobly; she is visibly proud of what she is doing.  Shanti has a beautiful soul which shines through in all the little things she does.

Since she has been always working for very rich families, she has been influenced by their style and standards and over time has become quite proud of her status and her attention to detail. With one family in particular she felt her immaculate nature was greatly appreciated and rewarded. But since her husband moved locations she had to start work with a new family and from that time on her life hasn't been as smooth as it used to be. Deep down inside she felt that her standards were a cut above the ones of her new boss. She had to change employers several time since she always quarreled over something. As time went on, resentment was building in her.

Can you see how Shanti is creating suffering for herself?  This is how most of us are. We  create suffering, we identify with a role and mind if others don't live up to our expectations. We don't act according to the needs of the environment but according to our own ideas and expectations and wish the world would rotate our way.  We are not in harmony with  life. Yet the world we live in is in fact a mirror. A perfectionist is encouraged to let go from time to time, while a sloppy guy is encouraged to pay extra attention instead. So Shanti should be listening to the signals she is receiving and should be open to change. Her peace of mind depends on it.

Does this story sound familar to you? Are there certain people and situations that drive you up the wall?  Do you ever try to understand why people are doing things in a different way? Perhaps you can think of the people you work and interact with as your mirror. They all have a message for you, and given that you have put yourself in this situation, in a strange way you are sending this message to yourself. So pay attention whenever there is tension somewhere, and pay especially attention when you react very emotionally. Be open. Once you have a close look at your mirror, your perspective can change quite quickly. You will like the way you look, the Tao is working hard to make it so.

Su Zhen and Christian