Own Your Shit

Last week I was mowing the lawn and came upon dog shit in the yard.

I wish I could say that I was “spiritual” about it.  It PISSES ME OFF that people will take their dogs on a walk and allow them to shit in other people’s yards and just  leave it behind.  Hello!!!???

(Gee, if I wanted to clean up dog shit, I’d have my OWN dog.)

Now, in the not too distant past, I would have kicked the crap onto the sidewalk for those dog walkers.  Other times, I have kicked it into the street to irritate the neighbors who apparently don’t seem to have a problem with their irresponsible neighbors.

That day, however, I stopped.  Yes, I was angry.  But I wanted to take a different approach. 

What could I learn from this?

It came to me that it’s a metaphor for how many of us live our lives.  You see, we don’t own our own shit.

• We blame our parents for not doing enough.
• We blame politicians for their corruption and greed.
• We blame our boss for being a jerk.

And the list goes on and on.

You see, the people hurt by the Madoff mess don’t want to own up to their part in the mess.  Oh no..he was “evil.”

Many Americans believe that all Muslims are terrorists and that they hate our “freedom.”  Forget that fact that we have a history of terrorism in the name of our God (aka THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR.)

Many are quick to call themselves Christians with “good family values”.  Yet many of those same Christians supported a regime who saw nothing wrong with lying, torture and killing. 

I get it. 

Most of us want to believe that we are “better” than something.  That we are not “evil and sinister” as Hitler, Saddam or Osama bin Laden.  That we are above the hypocrisy of a Mark Sanders or Ted Haggard.  That we could “never” commit murder or steal food from a hungry child.

But here’s the rub:  What you see in others,  EXISTS in YOU.

You can’t call someone evil if you don’t know evil yourself.

You can’t hate something in another person unless you, yourself, have knowledge of that trait.

Yes, my friend, you are just as evil, petty, disgusting, small-minded, etc. as “they” are.

Once you really understand this, your life will change.  

Are you ready to OWN YOUR SHIT?

I know, the thought (as well as this post) is pretty disgusting.  You are screaming at me, “I am NOT like them, Lisa.”

Been there. Said that.

Once you begin to understand that what you dislike in others is something about YOU that you want to disown, your perspective changes.   Once you begin to undersand that we are ALL connected, you ask different questions and you get different answers.   

And then the magic happens.

Because with that, you’ll begin to have more compassion for others.  You can look at something and say, “I am THAT. I am.”  When you see someone doing something that “triggers” you in some way, instead of calling them names, you see the opportunity for you to look inside.  ANYTHING that triggers you is an opportunity to heal.  Victimhood becomes a thing of the past and you can truly begin to love yourself..COMPLETELY.

And that my friends, is the greatest gift you can give yourself AND the rest of the world.

You ARE worthy of love.  ALL of you.

And so is everyone else.

Want to make a difference in the world?

OWN YOUR SHIT.