“When you are distressed by an external thing, it’s not the thing itself that troubles you, but only your judgment of it. And you can wipe this out at a moment’s notice.” – Marcus Aurelius
It's never the external thing that creates our experience, but what we think about it.
It’s not the friend, child, sister, husband, guy in the store, the driver behind you or even your mother.
It’s not the party, the conversation or the email, the comment on social media or the text.
It’s not even the past, the present or the future.
It’s what we think about these things that matters.
Unfortunately, our brains often default to the negative. It's a self preservation/protection mechanism designed to keep us safe back when 'danger' was mountain lions and spears, rather than a confusing text from a friend, or your boss calling you in for a meeting.
Sometimes all it takes to slow it down is to look at it from a different perspective.
That's where this week's Mindful Monday comes in.
It's a simple sentence you can keep in your back pocket for challenging, confusing, triggering, angering, and/or anxious moments.
"I am willing to see this differently."
That's it.
Those 7 words can open up a world of possibility, understanding and peace.
So the next time you are triggered by something:
That weird text from your sister
Your changing body
A call from your child's teacher
Drinking and/or eating more than you planned
New wrinkles
The upcoming holidays
In-laws/family
If you start to feel an emotion like sadness, doubt, guilt, worry, anger, or frustration creep in, remind yourself of these words:
"I am willing to see this differently."
What might open up when you consider an alternative possibility?
Carolyn
xx