8. Delving Difficult People Part 1: Gremlins Meet Thomas Keating We typically think of "difficult people" as people out there that cause our consternation. However, one cannot spell "difficult" without an "I"—two I's to be exact. Those two “i”s represent two core aspects of our experience as human beings: Most often referred to as our true self (the self God created to be in loving, free relationship and enjoy God and others forever), and the false self, which is the self we began to construct in childhood to protect ourselves. It’s the self we unconsciously believe others want us to be, or the self we think we should be in order to attain love. So, it is not that difficult people are not "out there", because they are. But, we must begin with lovingly welcoming the difficulty that resides inside. On this episode one of a multi-part series delving difficult people, we acknowledge the source of the often hidden motivations that drive our experiences in community by beginning a conversation (so-to-speak) with the late, great Trappist monk, Thomas Keating. After establishing the source of our afflicting emotions about others, we'll move towards spiritual practice in the next few episodes designed to heal and make whole—what Keating calls, Divine Therapy. Recommended Resources:For more on Thomas Keating, check out his works: The Human Condition, On Divine Therapy.Also for more on the 80s smash hit Gremlins: 20 Facts About Gremlins, Gremlins Trailer