June 15, 2008

In one version of his book, The Alchemist, Paolo Coelho had a prologue that gave a twist to the old story of Narcissus, a handsome but vain young man who was so taken with the beauty of his own reflection in the lake that he fell in love with it and refused to leave the banks of that lake until finally, he died of unrequited love.

In the prologue, the lake wept at his demise. But not for the reasons you would think.

“I wept for Narcissus but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see in the depths of his eyes my own beauty reflected.”

I couldn’t help smiling when I read that, but it also made me think.

How often do I look at things only in a certain way, without realizing that mine is not the only perspective?

Up until a month ago, I was so miserable at the office that I had to drag myself out of bed to get to work in the mornings.

There is a department head who has been making life miserable for her subordinates. She is arrogant, high-handed and a bully. And she expends a lot of energy making sure that everyone knows she’s in charge.

Frustrated and demoralized, the persecuted share sob stories with one another. Spur-of-the-moment, whispered rantings between two or three people during the workday occur fairly often.

At first, I tried not to be a part of it. But gradually as I, too, got more than my share of “persecution”, I couldn’t help feeling just as outraged as the rest of my colleagues.

“I opted for a non-supervisory role when I came back to the workplace. But when I was running a department before, I never treated my subordinates so badly,” I would say.

“How can she treat people this way, with no respect or regard for their feelings?”

Or “Two can play at that game, but I don’t want to stoop to her level.”

Once, when I was feeling really angry and miserable, I asked God why He was making me go through this when all I wanted was to earn a regular income until the time was right for me to concentrate on spiritual work.

“A mirror has been placed before you. You’re in this position to see your own reflection,” came the reply.

I was deeply shocked.

“But I’m not at all like her,” I argued. “I am a better person by far!”

For months, it went on like that. I could not accept that this mean-spirited woman was a reflection of me.

I was someone on her spiritual path. I had a soul purpose, and I was answering God’s call to do His work. I did not see any resemblance between that department head and myself.

“There are lessons for you here and now. You have fears you need to face. This person is here to teach you certain things,” was the message I kept getting.