~Zig Ziglar
How can a day begin so well - not because of the circumstances of the day, but because of the way you reacted to them - and end, just the opposite?
Maybe it is due to how we interpret what is happening to us - our perception of the moment. Our reaction then sets the tone - for better or for worse. The split-second decision we make on how to respond to a person or a situation is the preview of the coming attraction.
Many of our responses are automatic or habitual - instilled in us by our past or by our beliefs. At times, it is easy to control our "charged" emotional reactions, and behave according to how we desire the outcome to be. We make a choice - we choose "peace" over being "right." We follow our soul, instead of our ego. Other times, it is not so easy to take the high road, and we succumb to our old ways of "re-acting" the past into the present - and it is no "present."
If we could only go deep enough within and heal all those past negative charges, our present response would most likely become a positive one - a pleasant one - one to be proud of. Next to a miracle or immense imaginative work, this can be done, but it takes effort and it takes patience. It may demand unpleasant circumstances to arise, in order for us to have the chance to choose differently - to "rewire" our past - therefore changing our interpretation of the present. Nothing will seem offensive, and therefore, your behavior will no longer need to be defensive.
Once you become more aware of yourself, you will know what your reaction will most likely be - due to how you feel - and you will better know what is really setting you off. You can then acknowledge your thoughts, and choose differently. In some cases, the saying, "Fake it till you make it," can be good advice. Act they way you wish you felt, and you may end up feeling that way sooner than expected. Also, if you know that you are in a negative emotional state, "faking it" may serve everyone until the negativity passes, and you can see clear again.
When you become so ashamed of your negative reactions, it becomes very easy to ask for direction from a higher source. You become humble enough to admit that you just don't know the way at times. Some people may feel uncomfortable asking (something outside of themselves) for help, but may feel more comfortable asking their own soul for help.
Once you are open to higher guidance, you will receive it in many forms. All sorts of "coincidental" things will begin to happen. The clerk at the grocery store will be saying just the thing you needed to hear, just as you are passing by...visual signs will appear...lyrics of a song will "hit home"...words in a book will make complete sense...license plates may even begin to speak to you... It can happen quickly, and it can take time. All you have to do is ask, be open, and keep moving. If you wait and watch for this help, you won't see it. Be aware, but be patient, and when you least expect it, your answer will "magically" arrive.
So, the day began great! I actually amazed myself with my calm response to a situation that would have flustered many. I took in what I was being told, and I did not let myself be bothered by it. I did not take the scenario personally, and I was even quite supportive. It felt wonderful. I was so proud of myself.
Oh, how things can change... It was about 4 p.m. (my personal witching-hour) and I was driving to pick up my son from school. My cell phone rang. I answered. Somehow, I had lost my earlier pleasant mood, and what was being asked of me, I definitely did not like. I usually like to keep calls short when I am driving for safety reasons, but this time, I kept it short to avoid a "poor" reaction. I quickly hung up the phone, but it rang again... At the very moment I looked down to grab the phone from where it was placed, I saw the license plate of an oncoming car. Right in my moment of angst, on the verge of reacting, there it was... CHOICE ... all letters, no numbers. All smack-dab in my face.
"Choice" can mean many different things, but I knew exactly what it meant to me in that moment. I was being given a sign, interference, a chance. I saw, I heard, but did I listen?
Nothing is worse than asking for help, and then ignoring it when it arrives. I am not worried. I know I will have many more chances to choose a "better" choice. We may not choose the conditions in our lives, but we do choose how we experience those conditions - for better or for worse.
How can a day begin so well - not because of the circumstances of the day, but because of the way you reacted to them - and end, just the opposite?
Maybe it is due to how we interpret what is happening to us - our perception of the moment. Our reaction then sets the tone - for better or for worse. The split-second decision we make on how to respond to a person or a situation is the preview of the coming attraction.
Many of our responses are automatic or habitual - instilled in us by our past or by our beliefs. At times, it is easy to control our "charged" emotional reactions, and behave according to how we desire the outcome to be. We make a choice - we choose "peace" over being "right." We follow our soul, instead of our ego. Other times, it is not so easy to take the high road, and we succumb to our old ways of "re-acting" the past into the present - and it is no "present."
If we could only go deep enough within and heal all those past negative charges, our present response would most likely become a positive one - a pleasant one - one to be proud of. Next to a miracle or immense imaginative work, this can be done, but it takes effort and it takes patience. It may demand unpleasant circumstances to arise, in order for us to have the chance to choose differently - to "rewire" our past - therefore changing our interpretation of the present. Nothing will seem offensive, and therefore, your behavior will no longer need to be defensive.
"Every man builds his world in his own image. He has the power to choose, but no power to escape the necessity of choice."
~Ayn Rand
When you become so ashamed of your negative reactions, it becomes very easy to ask for direction from a higher source. You become humble enough to admit that you just don't know the way at times. Some people may feel uncomfortable asking (something outside of themselves) for help, but may feel more comfortable asking their own soul for help.
Once you are open to higher guidance, you will receive it in many forms. All sorts of "coincidental" things will begin to happen. The clerk at the grocery store will be saying just the thing you needed to hear, just as you are passing by...visual signs will appear...lyrics of a song will "hit home"...words in a book will make complete sense...license plates may even begin to speak to you... It can happen quickly, and it can take time. All you have to do is ask, be open, and keep moving. If you wait and watch for this help, you won't see it. Be aware, but be patient, and when you least expect it, your answer will "magically" arrive.
"When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water."
~Author Unknown
Oh, how things can change... It was about 4 p.m. (my personal witching-hour) and I was driving to pick up my son from school. My cell phone rang. I answered. Somehow, I had lost my earlier pleasant mood, and what was being asked of me, I definitely did not like. I usually like to keep calls short when I am driving for safety reasons, but this time, I kept it short to avoid a "poor" reaction. I quickly hung up the phone, but it rang again... At the very moment I looked down to grab the phone from where it was placed, I saw the license plate of an oncoming car. Right in my moment of angst, on the verge of reacting, there it was... CHOICE ... all letters, no numbers. All smack-dab in my face.
"Choice" can mean many different things, but I knew exactly what it meant to me in that moment. I was being given a sign, interference, a chance. I saw, I heard, but did I listen?
Nothing is worse than asking for help, and then ignoring it when it arrives. I am not worried. I know I will have many more chances to choose a "better" choice. We may not choose the conditions in our lives, but we do choose how we experience those conditions - for better or for worse.
"He who blames others has a long way to go on his journey. He who blames himself is halfway there. He who blames no one has arrived."
~Chinese Proverb
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