DIVINITY WITHIN - Day 35 of 108 Days - " Try to conduct yourself in such a way as not to injure others."

Day 37 - Can we conduct ourselves in a way as not to injure others and yet in doing so, we injure ourselves?

" Try to conduct yourself in such a way as not to injure others."

Yes, indeed. I am writing from experience. I have done this so many times and in the process, injured myself - seriously, that it may take twice as much time to recover from the injuries and harm that I inflicted on my self trying not to injure others.

A friend once asked me if I know what "grandiosity" means. When I asked why? he said because that is what I am. I was totally shocked. But, when he explained, I found that I had 5 of 8 of the Narcissistic criteria for grandiosity such as:

1. The person believes that he/she does not need other people.
2. The person believes in her/his invulnerability.
3. The person regards himself/herself as unique or special when compared to other people.
4. The person regards himself/herself as generally superior to other people.
5. The person behaves self-referentially.

So, I have grandiosity which made me conduct myself in such a way as not to injure others or hurt them in anyway because I believe that I can handle the hurt/pain/suffering while the other person must be protected by me because he/she is a weakling or rather had suffered enough. Or perhaps it is the old belief system of brainwashing that Catholicism inflicted on their members - that we must all suffer e.g. :
Rom. 5:2-3 - Paul says that more than rejoicing in our hope, we rejoice in our sufferings which produces endurance, character and hope. Through faith, suffering brings about hope in God and, through endurance, salvation.
Rom. 8:17 - Paul says that we are heirs with Christ, but only if we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. Paul is teaching that suffering must be embraced in order to obtain the glory that the Father has bestowed upon Jesus.
Rom. 8:18 - the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. We thus have hope that any sufferings we or others endure, no matter how difficult, will pale in comparison to the life of eternal bliss that awaits us.
2 Tim. 1:8 - Paul instructs Timothy to share in suffering for the Gospel. Suffering is not to be asked for, but it is also not to be avoided. For the sake of the Gospel, it is to be embraced.
2 Tim. 2:3 - Paul says to take our share of sufferings as a good soldier in Christ. Sufferings atone for the temporal effects of our sin.
2 Tim. 3:12 - all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But this persecution unites us more closely to Jesus and repairs our relationship with God.
2 Tim. 4:5 - Paul instructs Timothy to endure suffering to fulfill his ministry. As evangelists, we suffer with Christ for the Gospel.
The above Bible verses are just few of the hundreds that talks about suffering. Suffering is not to be asked for, but it is also not to be avoided. Our sufferings produces endurance, character and hope.

Perhaps so, but as I looked back, all it did was caused me more pain and more suffering and more injury to my mental, emotional as well as physical health. What an injury inflicted upon oneself just because we were told that suffering purifies us and prepares us for union with God and further our growth in holiness and spirituality. What BS is that? to the point that most people suffered physical and mental health in hope of eternal bliss in another life?

Dear reader, if we are to analyze the saying "Love your neighbor as yourself", it would mean that we can only give what we have. We can only love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves. We hate our neighbors because we hate ourselves. The measure of love that we give others is the measure of love we have for ourselves.

I will " Try to conduct myself in such a way as not to injure others " and in so doing I will make sure that I do not injure myself either.