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<p>Don’t try to draw strength from enemies, from those who are hassling us.  Draw instead on your friends, on those who love and support us.  This apparently clear path can get obscured when the jerks are on our tail.</p>
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<p>Perhaps there are ways to use the opponents force to reinforce one's own strength.  Some metaphors exist in Aikido and other philosophies.  But even then, their negative force is merely redirected.  It is not a source from which to gain strength.</p>
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<p>It may be that their energy is tainted.  Distillation of anything good is extremely difficult, if at all possible.  More often it seems, involvement with bad ass opposition just gets us tangled up in that evil or misguided intent.</p>
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<p>So here I find myself again, thinking about the bad asses, reviewing my fight with them, opposing their criticisms and defending my own actions.  Instead of that direct struggle, I should be thinking of the people who know me well, who care about me, who love and support me.  I should draw strength from them, from love.</p>
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<p>It's the best way to leave the bad asses in the dust.</p>
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