Don't Eat the Puke

Have you ever been puked on?

All of us have. No, not the baby throw up or the friend who drank too much and couldn't make it to the bathroom kind of puke. No this puke is far more hazardous.

I'm talking about the emotional throw up that is hurled onto us in all sorts of situations. Maybe it's a boyfriend or girlfriend or maybe it's an unhappy customer, maybe its your boss.

A great teacher of mine put it simply. She said, "Jess, in life, people will walk up to you a puke all over you."

They'll throw up their feelings of anger, resentment, self consciousness, being wronged and inferiority until it's dripping down your shirt. You will be covered, from head to toe, in other peoples regurgitation.

Now you have a choice.

You can either look down at your drenched attire and recognize the slimy mess you are covered with as it's true self, other peoples puke, their emotional entrails. Or, you can pull out your spoon and start eating it. Start identifying with all the mean, vile and hurtful things that you have been covered with. Start feeling that you aren't good enough, you can't do the job right or that you're not appreciated."

It's a colourful story with a great message; we can't control what other people think, say or do. We can, however, control how we react to it. So, next time you find yourself in a vomit covered situation, envision the throw-up dripping off of you, maybe even give it a little wipe.

Whatever you do, don't eat the puke.