Sunday, November 4, 2007

Turn Your Enemies Into Assets


Turn Your Enemies Into Assets

“Am I destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?”

Abraham Lincoln

There have been times in my life when I have felt like a victim. OK. Yes. I said it. I admit it. There have been times I have felt like a victim.

As a small boy, I was picked on by a family of five boys. These guys pushed me around a bit until I figured out exactly what to do.

Fighting the five of them was not the answer. I was clear the fighting odds were not in my favor. I needed a better approach.

I would make one of them my friend. I did. Making one of them my friend provided the rest as fringe benefit.

I remembered this recently while in a therapy session. I was recounting to my therapist occasions I felt I had experienced abuse. While sharing my feel sorry for myself story, a light bulb came on.

This event and others like it had developed a skill set. I had learned how to turn enemies into assets without realizing it.

Where I had perceived abuse, I saw how persons I had identified as problems had become either personal friends or assets. What about you? Do you have enemies you need to turn into assets?

You do? Here’s how. It’s simple. Learn what your enemies need. Provide it to them or provide them access.

Here’s what I know. Your enemies will not see you the same. When you turn an enemy into an asset, you no longer just have your own personal strength and skill set to operate from. You have theirs as well.

If you are like me at all, sometimes you will feel down. It is OK to admit this and let someone else know. It is OK to get help. It is OK to get on the couch and talk out loud. In our talking out loud and releasing our discomfort and pain, we discover how old enemies and painful experiences no longer have the power they once did.

I was on the couch because I was unhappy. While there, I discovered I had a new opportunity to transform a current enemy and painful experience into an asset. As a result I feel much better now. You will too when you love yourself enough to get help when you need it.

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