I'm working with a client for an hour a week every other week to help their employees with accountability. This is not a mandatory gig, so only those employees who want to participate are involved.
So I said something the first week (about 6 weeks ago) that didn't sit right with a few of them. Apparently, as I was telling them about some things that other clients are doing to achieve their goals, I mentioned an acronym that some of them are fond of saying: "TSRW" or "This S*@t Really Works!"
I had no idea that was offensive, and certainly not as offensive as it apparently was. I heard from others that some were offended, but never from anyone directly (I live on the border of Minnesota, so maybe it has something to do with that whole "Minnesota Nice" syndrome - see more about that
here).
Anyway, as I opened up
A Course In Miracles yesterday (I've been a student of the Course for about 6 years now), here is what caught my eye rather "randomly":
“Whenever you are tempted to undertake a useless journey that would lead away from light, remember what you really want, and say:
The Holy Spirit leads me unto Christ, and where else
Would I go? What need have I but to awake in Him?
Then follow Him in joy, with faith that He will lead you safely through all dangers to your peace of mind this world may set before you.”
Now I'm really sensitive to anything that can be considered "religious" because I was raised in a fundamental Christian household and the restrictions were suffocating to me, so if I offended anyone with the abovementioned, I apologize.
But this was huge for me. Just another sign that if I just get my ego out of the way (keep my ego, but don't BE my ego), things will work out.
And yesterday when I was back with that client, one of the people who I'd only heard about (one who apparently was offended), actually came up to me and told me she was offended the first week, but interested yesterday. She asked me more about my beliefs and really listened. I was so grateful that she came back and that she told me her reservations about what we were working on in the session.
And we engaged in real dialogue, where we both learned from each other.
TSR
does W!