A woman rebelled at an unexpected demand. She had to change her schedule abruptly and go to her office. And it was Saturday. She said to herself, "I am just being put upon."
Walking into her office building, however, she suddenly thought, "Put upon or called upon?" She realized there was a choice. It was her decision whether this demand invaded her harmony. She decided it would not and became willing, even glad, to help in the way required. The remainder of the day proved to be especially productive. Why? Because she had felt blessed and was blessed, knowing that the meeting of legitimate needs always benefits everyone involved.
When we feel "put upon," we see forces at work against us—impositions. Perhaps rebellion seems justified under such conditions. But if we're viewing an imposition as some unyielding power, this only makes us take on burdens. We may fight against it, or we may just submit, feeling we are up against such force that to resist is useless. However, neither submission nor head-on resistance is necessary or helpful. We have another choice, and that is to realize that under such circumstances we are being "called upon" to master injustice and imposition through spiritual understanding.
