IN THE LAST ARTICLE WE discussed the almost "oxymoronic"                                                                                    
statement - love your enemies, opposers and competitors (EOC).                                                                                        
But the key question is: "For whose sake should we do this?                                                                                      
For our own sake or for the sake of the other person?"                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
At a cursory level it would appear that if I "love my enemy",                                                                               
I am doing him/her a favour. Far from it. The direct                                                                                                  
beneficiary of a policy of 'love your EOC" is yourself ... not                                                                                   
others. How? Let us analyse ourselves.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
What is the purpose of human existence, all human endeavour?                                                                                          
If you say to seek wealth, power, name, fame, comfort, family,                                                                                        
etc. then the next question is "why are these important to a                                                                                     
person?" The obvious answer is that we think these can give us                                                                                   
happiness. If for one moment we thought that wealth, power,                                                                                           
family, etc. would result in sorrow, we would not seek these!                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
So, if the end of all human endeavour is to seek happiness and                                                                                        
in this context also "peace of mind", then the next question                                                                                
is this: "Are we happy when we have hatred, jealousy anger,                                                                                      
envy, etc. towards anyone?                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
The answer again is self-evident.  If we create a                                                                                                     
negative-feeling- opposite of love - towards our EOC, then we,                                                                                        
by our own device, have robbed ourselves of the very happiness                                                                                        
we seek.                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
How often has it been the human experience that the one we                                                                                            
have negative feelings - anger, jealousy, envy, etc - towards                                                                                         
become a kind of mental obsession, robbing us of peace and                                                                                            
even sleep. Strangely, we tend to think more (that is,                                                                                                
mentally turn in our minds more) about the people we hate or                                                                                          
have any negative feelings for, than the person we love.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
Often even the thoughts of God and Grace are put aside when                                                                                           
the one we hate or envy dominates our mind.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
So, is this what we want? No! So why allow any individual, any                                                                                        
company to become such a negative mental compulsion,                                                                                                  
destroying, robbing us of the very thing we seek - HAPPINESS!                                                                                         
If in your work environment, someone wrongs you, do not allow                                                                                         
that negativity to drag you down, do not rob yourself of                                                                                              
happiness by plotting revenge and harbouring anger.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
Forgive that person and forgive yourself for any negativity                                                                                           
that you may have unwittingly caused that triggered the                                                                                               
negative reaction.                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
If you have the heart and spiritual strength in you, make it a                                                                                        
grand endeavour to earn the love and respect of the person who                                                                                        
may have wronged you.                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
Normally it is all a matter of perception. Everybody has a                                                                                            
perception of everybody else. Sometimes wrong perceptions                                                                                             
engender negativity. So help the person correct his/her                                                                                               
perception of you and at once you neutralise the negative                                                                                             
energy.                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
Likewise for any business colleague or competitor. If the end                                                                                         
of all endeavour is HAPPINESS, then hatred, deceit or                                                                                                 
destructive feelings are not the paths - the only path is                                                                                             
Love!                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
And that on reflection will even make good business sense!                                                                                            
Better to have friends then enemies! Better love than hate.