I've never liked bullies and as a kid, I was always the one rising to the challenge, if I felt anyone was trying to bully me, my family or my friends. I never had a problem confronting a bully, because I felt I was justified and they needed to try someone who would stand-up against them. I didn't stand for it then and I don't stand for it now.
I think those experiences along with some other parental childhood experiences, created this rebellious storm inside me that was clearly visible anytime I felt I was being bullied. I believe it served its purpose when I was younger, because it protected me. It saved me from feeling like a victim. That's not how I viewed myself. I knew I could take care of myself and those around me. When it comes to dealing with some of life's circumstances however, not so much! I say that because there are times, when the Universe seems like a BIG BULLY! No matter how much you try to deal with certain situations, you start feeling this push that continually gets harder and harder and harder. Well, my first instinct is to push back when I feel I'm being backed into a corner. I think it's almost hard-wired in me. Unfortunately, this does not work on the Universe! Instead you get pushed even harder, to the point that you want to scream and push back and throw all your will at it to make things happen the way you want them to, until you're exhausted. Mentally, physically and spiritually exhausted. That's because I have plenty of will to trow around ;-) Only after some serious introspection, do you realize that the push is really meant to guide you to make the changes necessary for your growth. To guide you to take a different route, look for another open door, take another path. Of course that's not how you see it at first. It can be quite frustrating, painful, irritating and feel like the Universe is just another BULLY!
So, how do you deal with it? I'm learning, that the best way it's to just step back, figure out exactly what's uncomfortable about the situation and pay attention to the direction in which the Universe is pushing you. Easier said than done at first, but from that moment on it's all about taking one step at a time. It requires a lot of patience, introspection and faith. Faith that the Universe is ALWAYS working on your behalf to achieve the highest good. And don't get discouraged if, when it's all said and done, you realize you didn't have enough patience, introspection or faith while you were going through your experience. All you can do is remember the experience and try harder next time to keep your emotions on an even keel. After all, in this reality we're just work in progress anyway ;-)
