Life is filled with inconveniences, unnecessary annoyances and delays that disrupt our peace of mind and put us in a bad mood.
And when it comes to people, we typically lash out and use them as punching bags when things aren’t going the way we believe they should.
We’ve all been there…it’s normal and human.
But instead of instinctively reacting with anger and frustration, which not only leads us down a negative path that day but also strengthens the habit of repeating this reaction in the future, wouldn’t it be much more pleasant to respond calmly and kindly?
And I’m not necessarily saying to just be passive and let others walk all over you, but more so just approach each situation from a composed perspective.
When we are pissed off our emotions get in the way and take charge, typically ending with us regretting saying or doing something.
On the other hand, when we are calm we can visually and mentally see with more clarity. And when we have a better view of a circumstance, we have higher odds of controlling our responses in a productive manner.
There are endless variables in life that are out of our control, they always have been and they always will be. You can continue to subconsciously meet them with resistance and fill your existence with suffering or you can consciously choose to calmly greet them with kindness and understanding.
The sooner you’re able to accept this indisputable point on the dichotomy of control, the quicker you can begin to focus your energy on what is in your control, such as your character, your perspective and how you choose to respond to the events that present themselves.
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” – Marcus Aurelius