We all have them. A situation arises that momentarily thrusts us out of our comfort zones and, instead of stopping for a second, taking a deep breath, and counting to ten, we come completely undone. Losing control, we do a complete one eighty and turn into someone that even our own mothers wouldn't recognize.
Twisted. Contorted. Ugly. Cruel. Wicked. Malicious.
Say, for example, someone cuts you off on the interstate when you're driving to work in the morning. Your first impulse is to blast your horn, mutter a well-versed stream of profanities, and flick your middle finger out the window. How dare HE cut ME off, you think. What an ass... You take it personally and feel utterly offended by the other driver's careless and rude behavior. Your nerves are on fire, you're seeing red, and a sharp anger is piercing your chest. And, as if that isn't enough, you allow that self-righteous rage flowing through you to follow you to work and infect the rest of your morning. Like a malignant tumor, it grows, festers, multiplies, and eventually erupts - contaminating yet another part of your day, week, month, year. Life.
Wow.
Okay, so not all of us experience Road Rage. But each and every one of us have fallen victim to our knee-jerk responses to life. Felt the seemingly uncontrollable discomfort that follows an event or circumstance that doesn't go exactly how we would like it to.
Often times, after the anger and hurt have subsided, we see clearly again. We suddenly realize that maybe what happened wasn't such a big deal after all. Wasn't really so bad. We might admit that we got a bit carried away by our emotions. And we might even feel a bit ashamed for unleashing our inner demons and lashing out.
But the fact of the matter is - no matter how guilty we feel or how enraged we may still be - the damage is done.
What would society be like if, right when we felt the rage and anger start to simmer, we stopped, stepped back, and took a deep breath? Then another. And another...
So many things that cause us anger and distress are so small and insignificant that it's a downright shame that we let them affect us so much. Someone cutting us off in traffic. A rude cashier. A hectic day. Screaming kids, loud teenagers, obnoxious telemarketers, negative co-workers, irritating clients... Or that clueless neighbor across the street who chooses to mow his lawn at six o'clock in the morning on the only day of the week that you get to sleep in... The list is endless.
Are these things annoying? Sure, sometimes. Are they worth getting all worked up over? Probably not. And, most importantly, are they worth wrecking your day, your month, your year, or your life over? Absolutely not.
It's amazing how we let the small things affect our lives. How something so seemingly insignificant can actually turn a great, amazing day into a horrible, unbearable, I'm-dying-a-slow-death-I-can't-stand-this-anymore type of day.
If we could just learn to relax, stay calm, and hold steady when that first sign of rage, irritation, or annoyance rears its ugly head, then we could improve our lives immensely. By holding on to the pure feelings of love, appreciation, joy, and hope, we could turn those undesirable situations around and use them to our advantage.
For instance, when cut off on the interstate, you could choose to take the higher road. Feel grateful that you have the reflexes to stop at a moment's notice. Appreciate how well your vehicle runs and that the brakes are in good condition. Be glad that your quick thinking avoided a collision. And finally, bless the driver who cut you off - he could be going through something more terrible than you could ever imagine.
If you make a conscious to effort stop, think, and breathe when presented with undesirable circumstances, you could cut down on so much unnecessary stress and hardship. And what a bonus that would be.
Learn to turn the tables. Don't fly off the handle. Don't allow yourself to be a victim to life's chaotic moments. Don't let your emotions take control of you. Instead, take control of your emotions.
And, as a result, enjoy the absolute power of being in control of your life.
** If you feel like lowering your blood pressure and raising your vibration, check this out. Enjoy!
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"The most important skill in staying calm is not to lose sleep over small issues. The second most important skill is to be able to view all issues as small issues."
-- Paul Wilson
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