< Go Back DON'T SWEAT THE PETTY STUFF Posted: Jan 14, 2022 DON'T SWEAT THE PETTY STUFF
In a life where so much can go wrong every day our plans don't come to fruition and needs are unmet. Our wishes go unfulfilled and we have no control over what happens ...or do we?
Our lives are subject to forces beyond our conscious control and our response can be powerful because we must invest ourselves and our resources to overcome genuine hardship. However when it feels like it is all falling apart our reactions can be far more passionate than the circumstances warrant. If we are late for an event, interrupted at work, or sitting in traffic, the tension we experience interferes with our well-being in negative ways. When we stop fretting about relatively unimportant matters, we can be at peace and devote so much more of ourselves to what is truly important.
We let the small frustrations and irritations have immense power over us, robbing us of control. However every problem is a opportunity to learn. It is a natural human tendency to waste emotional energy in minor dilemmas and frustrations rather than channel it to confront the more complex issues that are currently outside our control. When you don't like a situation change it, if you can't change the situation - change the way you think about it. We need to reserve those energies and not waste them. The intensity of our negative response only provides us with a temporary sense of personal power sure it can help us cope with challenges that might otherwise overwhelm us but it is only when we let the little stuff go that we discover that the big stuff is not really so devastating after all.
In the stress of a tense incident, it is difficult to differentiate between an small annoyance and a legitimate challenge. Ask yourself whether the emotions you are feeling right now will be as powerful in a year, a day, or EVEN an hour. Is it really worth it? As focused as you are on this moment in time, your reward for letting go of your negative emotional investment is the key to letting in the harmony sooner. Needless aggravation is seldom worth the cost it exacts.
You cannot distance yourself from life's inconsistencies, irritations, and upheavals, but you can let go of the need for perfect order and gain personal peace of mind as the negative emotion passes much quicker in the process.
So next time you get stuck in traffic use the moment to gather your thoughts productively. If you are late use the moments to go over your preparation. If you get interrupted at work, giving your full attention to the matter will help move the interruption forward and away from you sooner!
Be productive - Be positive