When I was 54 I was the object of an attempted assassination. It was an attack against my character and it failed, but it rocked me with confusion and pain.

I was betrayed by an individual I trusted. Actually the betrayal had gone on for some time in a passive/aggressive way; that summer was when it hit me and I faced it. I don’t want to provide details here, mostly because this forum isn’t for me to trash others. What I want to describe now is how I coped with the confusion then.

The situation went beyond the one individual. She had a spouse and her own set of advisors and she was too chickenshit to discuss subjects with me that were our business. She took the tales to outsiders, to folks who didn’t understand the players or the play, and then she half-heartedly half-executed their mundane recommendations.

Her tactics were transparent and stupid. But the situation developed and took on additional participants who weren’t even in the room. It got to where I really did feel surrounded by assassins. I didn’t know whom I could trust.

Anyway, I woke up one summer morning in the midst of this mess, and I’d received a gift. The phrase “the best revenge is living well” was floating in my head as I arose, and I paid attention.

I got it. I understood it as I never had before. See, I was hurt and confused but I didn’t want to become bitter or sour about it (and I sure wasn’t going to be sweet). I didn’t want to muck around in trash talk and I didn’t want to be looking over my shoulder. I was blessed with a vision: myself standing tall and walking well, senses open and attitude receptive, proud and happy. I knew that was what I wanted and I wanted it for me; the suggestion of dust-eating enemies was secondary.

So I started taking care of myself. I began improving myself and I increased loving myself.

It worked and there was a benefit I hadn’t anticipated. Living well screws any and all foes. It renders identification of your enemies irrelevant.

They say the best revenge is living well.
My character’s too indolent to plot,
too occupied with other thoughts to tell
who trusts, esteems and honors me, who not.
I won’t attempt to damn or even quell
my enemies – it’s just that they forgot
the deal we made before our triceps fell:
to clearly see ourselves, no matter what.

Revenge is daily dancing, walking, rest
in my expensive bed. Revenge is neat
attention to the way this thought’s expressed,
a facial, acupressure for my feet.
Revenge means I don’t have to comprehend
if you’re my dearest enemy or friend.