Difficult People AKA Teachers of our Authentic Self
While I enjoy Yoga Journal immensely, I find that the feature articles are often much longer than the subject demands. Who is editing these pieces, I often wonder? So, I was pleasantly surprised by the Sally Kempton’s article, Take Heart, in the February issue of YJ. Its theme of difficult people being the best teachers hits home for many of us post-holiday stress. 
Kempton’s thoughtful, albeit still a little wordy, piece focuses on acceptance, attraction and visualization of desired outcomes. A little airy fairy perhaps in places but the grounding of the lessons in our spirit is quite strong.
Recall that our Authentic Self feels at its most full and satisfied when we are honoring its essential parts. In the case of dealing with difficult people, the honoring of our personal values would be the integral piece which speaks to our Authentic Self. The YJ article is a gentle introduction to a subject that most of us would rather just avoid.