Purposeful Avoidance highlights mitigation strategies, that allow anyone who has felt belittled by bullies, to seek support of friends, to find ways to realize one's interests and potential, and to live a life fulfilled, despite negative energies from those who see differences as a threat! One can avoid, one can confront, one can laugh along, one can call out the abuse. By addressing our biases we better understand bullying behavior, so that one can address forgiveness without condoning bad behavior. The book highlights the question; should we even forgive those who have purposely wounded us? And of course, we can never forget. From reliving the pain of abusive words, remembered verbatim, never buried, from childhood, considering how one could have reacted differently then, to addressing how to heal, to the form of forgiveness that allows us to make sense of the scars, without the need or being concerned about the one who bullied. What if a bully shares his or her sorrow at wounding us, does that help heal? By rising above the pain from those who have tried to make us feel inferior, we can shine even brighter. God doesn't make mistakes. We have a purpose and value. Those of us who have been bullied are not victims, we are heroes.
