Evolving spiritually and moving up in consciousness means steadily moving toward the pathway of love, and away from the pathway of fear. A Course in Miracles says, “No one who lives in fear is really alive. When everything you retain is lovable, there is no reason for fear to remain with you.” The more you practice forgiveness, compassion and kindness toward all of life, in all its expressions, the happier and more loving you become.
As a consequence of becoming more loving towards all of life (ourselves included) you may erroneously assume that everyone will treat you in the same manner in which you treat them. This is a huge misconception that stems from naivet. Unfortunately, not everyone you come in contact with will see the world in the same way you do.
Some people despise happy people. For them, happy people are not to be trusted and should be held at arms length at all times. Not everyone you smile at will smile back at you. Not everyone you want the best for will want the best for you.
Why am I reminding you of this? Because it is easy to forget that a Komodo dragon will bite if you get too close. Some people thrive on negativity and get a huge ego boost by being nasty and exerting power and control over others. This does not make them bad. It just means people like this should be avoided at all cost.
Would you walk into the cage of a Komodo dragon and expect to pet it like you would pet your neighbor’s dog? Most likely you would never make this assumption. The same holds true for people who are not at the same place you are on your spiritual journey. Don’t try to win over those who don’t want to be won over. It is a waste of time and energy. This does not in any way imply that you should be any less loving than you are. It simply means you need to be aware that not everyone shares your optimistic outlook on life.
Make it easy on yourself. Hang out with people of like-mind who love and support you and want the best for you and your life, and stay clear of Komodo dragons.