Do you find yourself getting angry or irate at every little thing? Does your whole life feel like one giant emergency after the other? Is everything filled with drama? You might very well be guilty of sweating the small stuff. It’s time to change the way you view things.
Worrying never solved a problem. It only makes it worse. If you want life to be easier not just in moments, but most, if not all of the time, you must learn not to sweat the small stuff. Someday, you may realize it’s all small stuff. We all have a tendency to react instead of respond. Reacting is rooted in emotions. Responding usually requires you to be calm first and to think before speaking. We are all guilty of doing it, myself included. It is often in hindsight that you realize perhaps it wasn’t worth it. I’m not talking about allowing yourself to be treated badly or not speaking up for yourself. I’m talking about everyday occurrences that you allow yourself to get all worked up over. Things like getting cut off in traffic, a long line at the grocery store, your kids throwing a tantrum, someone being late for a meeting…. things that in the bigger picture are quite trivial and not worth the energy you spend getting upset.
You are in full control of your thoughts and emotions at all times. We tend to forget that we are in control of what we feel at all times. It is in those moments that we forget that things go awry. Again, I have been guilty of it as well. I don’t have many regrets in my life, but the regrets that I have held on to, I have done my best to rectify. I am able to reverse my Karma to some extent because I tend to reflect on my life and my choices often. I then make new choices. I put good energy back into the Universe. I do my very best to stay peaceful. I do my very best to remain positive and to live a positive life. But, being a human being sometimes gets the best of me as I’m sure you too. It’s when we can take a step back and assess why we are so angry or so bothered that we can grow. When we allow ourselves to remember that half of what we tend to get ‘mad’ about won’t even matter a year from now that we can get back to living a happy life. Again, for each person this will be subjective. I am not encouraging you to be anyone’s doormat. I am encouraging you to really take a look at how you respond to situations and people on a daily basis and to think about if being an ‘angry person’ is worth the consequences.
If you find yourself perpetually angry, you must address the root of it. Anger can serve a purpose when expressed in a healthy way. Healthy way? Yes, if you are in full understanding about why you are angry, you can then go deeper. You can get to the root of the why so you can ultimately change your response in any situation with any person. We all experience anger, but we don’t all have to hold on to anger. The real question will always remain “what are you really mad about and is it worth it?” If you like feeling on edge all the time by all means, close this email now. However, if your goal is to live a peaceful life, you will want to find ways to overcome your anger and eliminate sweating the small stuff that takes you there.
Live every day with peace in your heart. If you can allow yourself to wash yesterday’s worries away with today’s possibilities, you will find yourself with more peace in your heart. I have been accused of being “too forgiving” at times and at first it confused me because I love being a forgiving person. I love not having all that excess baggage on my journey. I wasn’t always that way. I still get upset at situations and people, but I do my best not to hold on to things if I can help it. It doesn’t always work. Sometimes I feel “justified” about what I’m upset about and it’s challenging to move beyond it. But then I remember what I have been accused of….”being too forgiving” and I remember that I actually love being that way. So, I refocus my attention on what’s really important in my life. I then remember all that I have to be grateful for instead. It’s then that I realize that the “small stuff” and even the seemingly “big stuff” won’t matter in the long run. I’d rather focus on my blessings and on moving forward in my life. I encourage you to do the same. It’s not always easy, but it’s not impossible either. Try it!
