In case you haven't noticed, it's Scorpio.  Right about now is when - how do I put this delicately - everyone starts pissing us off! 

Judging from the emails I've received last week, at least a few of you are feeling it.  Rude bosses, insensitive wives, disrespectful fathers ... everyone is out to get us.

Or are they?  There's the rub.  No one is out to get us.  We're just a little too self-obsessed.  Our insecurities are getting the best of us.  The truth is, most of the time it's not about us, it's about the other person's pain. 

We're forgetting there's a story behind people's reactions.  There's always a story.

This week, when we are obsessing on how horrible someone is, we ought to remind ourselves that the offender has pain too - and it's probably greater than ours. 

And that's where our old friend "human dignity" comes into play.

I tell a story in my book for teens, Life Rules. that speaks to this idea.  When I was in Junior High School back in Queens, there was a kid in my class who constantly copied answers off my tests.  This irritated me beyond words.  I felt he was taking advantage of me.  He was one of those popular kids, and while I was at home studying, he was out having fun.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.  One day in class I exploded at him, "Stop copying from me! Stop taking everything from me!"  He was, quite naturally, shocked - as was the rest of the class, not to mention the teacher.  It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, but also one of my greatest lessons.

As it turned out, I later discovered that he wasn't out carousing every night.  In fact, his grandfather was quite ill, and the family had brought him to their house to die.  Much of the boy's time after school was wrapped up in caring for his grandfather.  Finding time to study was simply not a priority.

I'm not saying it was okay for him to copy, but if I had spoken with him - with human dignity - I might have discovered ways I could help.  And by helping, even more Light would have been available to me.

Remember, most of the time when we feel attacked, judged, or victimized, it's not about us.  There's more than meets the eye.

All the Best,

Yehuda