Cinderella Bliss by Rev. Mark Stuefloten 7/17/2022 (text)
Cinderella Bliss by Rev Mark Stuefloten
Cinderella was tough. Cinderella knew a secret that most people don't know: It is better to serve than to rule. She served two cruel stepsisters and one very cruel stepmother. She did her work with an attitude of gratitude. Is it possible to serve difficult people while maintaining our happiness and have a positive attitude toward these difficult people? Yes, it is.
We are spiritual beings. Our happiness is not derived from people or things outside of ourselves. It’s only when we take our focus off the divine light within us and the light in others that we create difficulties and difficult people. We can have temporary joyful experiences in the world and be happy in the moment, but this kind of joy and happiness is brief and gone with the passing moments. Remember we create our life experiences or co-create them with like-minded souls. Cinderella’s Godmother showed up only once. Her magic got Cinderella to the King’s ball in style, but it was only a one-night pass to happiness. Magic spells are limited shortcuts to true success and happiness.
Cinderella learned, long before her Godmother appeared, how to have eternal happiness. She could have shown her Fairy Godmother a few positive moves. I had never worked in an office full time. I worked at a company as a salesman doing outside sales. When I went to a new job, I was working in their office learning the ins and outs of the office jungle. It was an adventure, not for the weak-hearted. I soon learned that the owner exploded at least once a day. No one wanted to share information with me for fear I would get their position. I went home every night frustrated, and every morning I hated those darn, happy birds tweeting. My real problem was I was allowing the job, the boss and the un-friendly coworkers to steal my focus. I was keeping myself blinded from the good within me and around me working for my higher good.
Instead of focusing on the good skills I was learning that would, in the near future, make me more marketable and bring me higher earnings, I was focused on the outer and everchanging world. I was no Cinderella around the office, I was a mad hatter. It’s important for us to remember that the reasons these difficult people scare us is because we are too focused on avoiding them. We should not be thinking about them at all, unless we are sending them healing thoughts and leaving out the welcome mat for them.
My wife, Teresa, had the solution. She was my Fairy Godmother. One day, after my complaining, she said, “Why don’t you stop complaining about these people and start loving them?” Teresa was reminding me of what Jesus said, so long ago. Jesus told us to love those who persecute us. Difficult people are persecuting us because they’re scared. They want to be loved. They have experienced rejection from other people, maybe their mom, dad, brothers or sisters. They have rejected themselves. They can’t see the good in themselves, so they’re not going to see any good in you. Difficult people are controllers. If they can control other people and situations, they think they won’t get hurt.
They really want to be loved. Children who live in unstable homes with divorce, lack or limitations sometimes just never recover from those childhood traumas. I started my new plan the next day. The night before, I counted my blessings, got myself anchored in the divine power in me and assigned myself the work of a good finder. The people around me remained difficult, but not with me. I had changed my viewpoint to the positive. I saw myself as a good finder, first in myself then in others. Those others, those monstrous controllers, went away. Oh, they were working all around me, but I no longer saw monsters. I saw people that had a great deal of troubles that I was fortunate not to have. Eventually, the owner and I were on good terms. He retired and the exploding stopped. It was a tearful goodbye. If you thought that everyone you met was in pain, you would be right 90 percent of the time. We are light bearers. We are the lights of the world. Kindness is what everyone needs, and everyone should practice giving, beginning with yourself. Had I not taken that risk, entering a new career, not knowing all I would need to learn and not quitting when things got tougher, I would not have had the grand experience of working for the next company that my new skills and experience got me. The real success skill I learned is that no one is a difficult person all of the time and everyone can be a difficult person at times.
What we are is an expression of our divine creator. You have within you the same power that nurtures the universe. No one has any more power, skills, or talent than you have. We are all given from our creator all we need to succeed and to live a good life, today, tomorrow and forever.
Cinderella had a wicked, demanding stepmother. She kept Cinderella hopping. Everything in the world changes. That’s the way this universe works. We create change, we experience change continually. Cinderella’s positive attitude was attracting into her life positive change. What kind of change are you creating?
The universe was creating situations and conditions at the palace that would eventually bring Cinderella and the prince together. The universe was reflecting back to Cinderella her good intentions, actions, and continual joy in living. The universe was moving and aligning all conditions for her highest good. The secret to Cinderella’s continual happiness was that it was not dependent on the weather, or attitudes, moods, likes or dislikes of other people and things of the day. She was deciding to be happy. She had made up her mind to be happy.
Everything changes out there. But inside you’re the same youthful soul that came into this world and you will leave this world the same. What is eternal is unchanging. Cinderella’s happiness was anchored in the eternal, the unchanging. When you realize who you truly are you will no longer be moved by the ups and downs of this ever-changing realm. You will live from the viewpoint of eternity.
Cinderella did not need magic to get her to the ball, she was already there; she did not need a prince, the kingdom needed her. You don’t need a fairy God mother or father to get you to where you want to go, the divine power is present within you. Make a demonstration of that divine power; create something terrific that makes life better for you and others.
I realized after a few years working with people that we play both roles, the good person and the difficult person. When I was working as a property manager people would come to the office with their complaints. If I could resolve them to their liking, I was their best friend. If I couldn’t resolve it to their satisfaction, I was a jerk. How they felt about me changed all the time. Nothing is permanent outside of us; this realm is forever changing. Within us, we are unchanging units of pure consciousness.
Here is the answer to dealing with a difficult person. Find the good in them; they’re in your life for a reason. Be thankful for them; it’s an opportunity to be like your creator, who sees the good in all beings. Jesus saw only health and well-being in those who came to him for healing. He simply declared the truth of them, that they were whole, nothing limiting them or lacking.
That is true of all of us. We are whole, nothing limiting or lacking. Find that in yourself and everyone and you will no longer have difficult people in your life. You’ll experience your inner bliss, wholeness, and unlimited grace. Amen .