Meekness: the quality which safeguards you.

Have you been the victim of cruelty or injustice at some point of your life? Are you presently despondent over your personal circumstances in life? Has someone broken your heart because of treachery or rejection? If you answered yes to one or all of these questions, you are not alone.

Many people today harbor some form of bitterness, resentment and hurt over some wrong that was done to them. Others still are just enveloped with despair over their personal situation in life. These people may be sorrowful because their expectations for life have not materialized. Some of these people develop a self-loathing spirit, in which they harshly condemn themselves for their disappointments in life. They develop other negative emotions such as anger, jealousy and envies. Sadly, they compound their problems and misery by allowing these negative emotions to govern their actions.

What can each person do to guard against heartache and bitterness? Besides cultivating an optimistic outlook on life, there is a virtue that transcends this. It is called Meekness. Meekness is a quality that prevents a person from becoming offended or resentful when someone has done something injurious to him. It also refers to a state of mind that precludes a person from being morose or bitter over his lot in life. Hence, a person who is meek, would revel in an undisturbed inner peace. He would not be indefinitely angered when someone wrongs him. He would also never have a pessimistic assessment of the state of his life. Would'nt it be wonderful to have the ability to never get downcast whenever something negative or hurtful happens in our life? Thats what the virtue of meekness can do for you!

How can we transform our personalities to become meek? There are several things that must be done. First, one must develop a rational assessment of life. In an imperfect world, run by imperfect people, there are going to be occasions where we will be disappointed or even hurt. Disappointments are an inevitable part of life. What a person must do is learn to react positively, when life's setbacks occur. We must never react adversely with self-destructive emotions like anger and bitterness, when someone affronts us. We would also guard against becoming negatively analytical about ourselves and our circumstances in life.

The second thing a person must do to become meek, is to relinquish the anger and disappointment that emanates from their past. Do you often think about a past event in your life that still brings you grief? Work on letting go of past hurts and failures so that way you can experience inner peace and future happiness. Emotionally letting go, does not mean that you excuse or justify the unpleasant experience. Victims of violent crime should never feel that they are to blame for what befell them. Likewise, Those who suffered the pains of debilitating illness and other calamities, should never condemn themselves. Emotionally letting go, means that you dont allow the self-destructive emotions that emanate from catastrophe to sap our joy from living.

The third thing that will help us to become meek is to learn to respect and accept people's right to choose. What does this mean? I will give two examples. First, have you ever had a romantic interest in someone, only to have that person rebuff your overtures? Or have you been passed over for a job or promotion? Who hasn't experienced this! While it is indeed hurtful to have someone reject you, look at it this way: Have you ever rejected someone who had a romantic interest in you? Many have. This isnt necessarily a bad thing. Why? Imagine the unhappiness that would result if everyone was forced to be with a person they are not compatible with! The right to choose is what makes life enjoyable. A rejection is not always an accurate assessment of you. Sometimes the circumstances or preferences of the people involved might diverge. This means that the persons analyzing you, might not deem you to be the right fit for their situation. While its disappointing, the beautiful thing is that there is someone or some organization that is searching for someone just like you!

Meekness then, compels us to be emotionally stable. Whatever life throws at us, we will never remain in a prolonged state of pessimism and anger. Meekness will also ensure that we will never respond adversely and impetuously when wronged. Meekness will also engender an inner peace and gratitude for the good things taking place in our lives. When we are meek, we will have better relationships because we will be patient with the shortcomings of others, and are forgiving when they wrong us. Lastly, meekness will compel us to never dwell on the negative things in life. Rather, we will always have a vibrant optimism for the future and a robust love for ourselves and others. Therefore, strive to be meek to experience the rejoicing and inner peace that every human deserves!