Challenges....There May Be Plenty

I guess I should put this one before the forgiveness entry, it seems out of order but then again life doesn't always go in order.
What I'm talking about is the never ending line of people who cross our paths, testing our patience, hurting our pride, causing us unbearable pain (physical or emotional). Sometimes in my life, there doesn't seem to be a line of people, it's more like a stampede, coming at me in all directions.
I wonder what the heck is going on when certain people in my life literally get in my face or in their cowardly way work the situation behind my back, while hiding in the shadows, thinking I must be stupid like I wouldn't have a clue it was them.
In this life for me, I seem to feel the need to get the full experience with overbearing, pushy women or is it insecure, controlling women. And and every stage of my life there is a resident 'make my life miserable' female. The most recent one keeps teaching me so far that if she's nice to me.....be on guard because she's up to something.
I'm not playing a victim in any way, shape or form. I just sit and wonder why people behave that way. Is it insecurity, fear, issues from childhood, getting a fix on seeing other people hurt or just a case of basic sociopathic behaviour, where they're completely devoid of human compassion and sensitivity. I don't know.
I hear many times that we need to be reminded, we are all innocent, pure spirits here on earth, learning through the same human experience. It's difficult to remember though when I'm in the middle of one of those emotionally challenging moments.
But the one I need to really remind myself is my higher self wrote these moments for myself, knowing I could handle it. God, only gives us no more than we can handle. Boy, some days I don't know about that. Those days I would love to throw in the towel and say 'okay, you know what, you win, who cares anymore'. I even tried sending out love to those you-know-whats but it never seems to take effect until after they zinged me good. OUCH!! Usually I'm feeling a few scratches after those moments.
So I go back to what's the secret with dealing with these people?? Well, one theory is I attract them to me as an obstacle to overcome. And then there's karma. I understand the whole karma thing and I firmly believe it to be true, what I don't understand is why they don't get it.
Sylvia Browne said once on Montel that karma payback comes in God's time, not ours. Yes, I guess if it was in our time it's considered revenge.
That's the real challenge seeing those relationships for what they are and not backing down, standing my ground, learning over time to choose my battles wisely and to take a step back.