5 Ways To Handle Your Enemies Before They Handle You

We have all had the occasional run in with people that some would call enemies. The Universal Team concept teaches that everyone in and around your life is on your team. Many people that hear this ask me, "What about your enemies?". For me to say that you'll never have an enemy after you develop the concept of an universal team would be ignorant. You can't live like an ostrich with it's head in the sand. How then can everyone, including your enemies, be "on your team"? Here is 5 ways to handle your enemies before they handle you.

1. Know your enemies. No one got out of bed one day and said that they wanted to make or be an enemy. You see, all of us have been through tough situations and have been wounded. At some point we decided to go to the side lines of life. Instead of returning to the team and the field of life, we retreated into depression, hurt, and socially distant living. Your enemy is not people. The relationship with that team member is hostile. This is due to your wounds and their wounds colliding. The only person you can change is your self. Just let that sink in for a few minutes.

2. Know your allies. Your friends may seem busy but they aren't as busy as you think they are. They are struggling or have struggled with the same things you have. You are truly, not alone. The only difference is your response from their response. Their love, experiences, talents, and resources can save you a lot of heart ache. You need friends who will be in your corner before the trouble comes. You can do that by being in their corner when trouble comes knocking on their door.

3. Know your purpose. Having a purpose is very important to the over all well being of your life. If you don't know who you are then you can't determine your purpose. Once you have determined your purpose, don't forget it. Remind your self daily of your purpose. Write it down and put it in places that you frequent throughout your life. Gage your response to others based on your purpose. It may keep you from having unwanted stress and possibly give you a chance to help others in the process.

4. Know your strengths. Sometimes we can be our best and worst critics. We are never really as bad as we think we are. You'll never know what you are made of until trouble comes. The key is to optimize on what you are sure of. If you are strong in the area of hospitality, then a nice talk over dinner may turn your difficult situation with some one around. Most people don't like confrontation so being open and straight forward, laying down all the guidelines and boundaries may very well be a smart approach. If you don't have a strength in being transparent, then it could back fire on you quick.

5. Know your weaknesses. Honesty is a good policy to have and choosing your battles are important. Sometimes the real person at fault is you. Don't think that you are so good of a person that you will never become a villain to anyone. Today I made at total @$$ of my self in front of my wife and kids. We where leaving church, out of all places, and the whole family was hungry. I didn't really want to eat pizza but everyone else did. Instead of being content with eating pizza, I acted like a total jerk about eating pizza. I'm not saying that 'understanding your weakness' about yourself is a license to have a good excuse. It's not. When I am in need of sleep or food, I am more likely to be irritable and lose track of my emotions. I mostly turn into a total jerk. So when I'm tired and hungry, I try to be quiet and overly nice, but today I lost that battle.

For the most part, we are our own worst enemy. Our life will always give us challenges to face. Don't put one person's face to a challenge. Don't make it personal unless that person is yourself. You can handle challenges you face in a way that will bring you victory but it has got to start in you.

How have you faced the enemy in your life?

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(Photos: Top right: Some Ostrich, 
Middle left: Olympic Weightlifter, 
Bottom left: David Wayne Manning)