I have realized lately how easily I am offended. Recently I discussed the technical aspects of my blog with two different men who had extensive knowledge in that arena.

One of them said that he couldn’t find my blog. That struck me as weird because no one else has been complaining about that and I have over 510,000 hits to my blog.

I checked this out with some of the people who I use as consultants in blogging and they said that maybe he was just trying to get my business. So I pretty much dismissed what he had said but I held a hardness in my heart towards him.

The other guy told me how time consuming this industry was and how difficult it is. I spend a large part of my day devoted to my blog but I do so because I enjoy it.

Finally I had to politely end the conversation with this guy because he was becoming a Debbie Downer and he was not even a woman, so he had no right to be that. lol

Furthermore I don’t  need any more people discouraging me, my family does a good enough job at that. Part of my family’s  problem is ignorance. None of them know what a blog even is, much less the influence that it has in this day and age. So I pretty much ignore them.

I have meetings which I go to where I see both of these men on a frequent basis. After having these experiences, I avoided them like the plague for a few weeks. I always had a bit of indignation even when I thought of them.

What I was doing was allowing their supposed “offense” to take root in my heart. They may not have meant to offend but I was counting it as such and holding bitterness against them in my thoughts and in my feelings.

This past week I realized what a silly ninny I was. They probably both had every intention to help me. In fact one of these men is responsible for my subscription button and the other one gave me heads up on some legal avenues I may want to walk down as my blog progresses.

Just because they didn’t “oo and aww” over how great I was as a blogger did not mean that  I needed separate myself from them at these business meetings.

I think when we perceive an insult we put up walls to guard our heart. In some instances this may be good but in some it is bad.

I can’t tell you how many times I had to recall the exact words that these men said to me to build those walls higher and higher. They may have thrown the first arrow of offense towards my heart but it was my thought pattern which kept pushing that arrow deeper and deeper choosing to replay the words with hurt attached.

When someone says something that offends you there are several responses that you can choose.

Offend back which makes you a replica of the person who offended you.

Harbor bitterness in your heart which means you have chosen to hurt yourself more than that other person ever intended.

Then there is the smart choice. Forgive, let it go and wipe the slate clean because whatever is said or done to harm you is not worth a second thought.