Awareness
In my journey and study of the human mind, our behavioral patterns, our thoughts, & meditation, one word always comes up. That word is awareness. One of the many reasons we meditate is to reduce stress. Meditation can help us be present and aware of how we think, breathe, and react to stressful triggers. Triggers can be anything from traffic, to someone at the office that gets on your nerves, to something that may have happened in your past. Once you become aware that you are being triggered, the hope/goal is to use your breath and meditation in favor of a more positive “response” vs. a negative “reaction”. However, even when you DO become aware that you are being triggered, that doesn’t mean that you will not react in a negative manor…. Just yet…
Let me give you an example. I have a pretty bad temper that presents itself sometimes while driving, like a lot of others, but since I have been working on meditation, breathing, and awareness, my temper and negative reactions have gotten much better. That doesn’t mean I don’t still get angry or sometimes yell at someone while driving. Side note, I yell to myself, I never drive next to someone in a negative/confrontational manor. Thinking that I will never lose my temper again isn’t realistic… yet. What I have been able to do however is become aware as soon as I yell at a driver or begin to get mad at another driver on the road that I am reacting negatively. Before I let my thoughts, words, and actions spiral into a litany of negativity, I immediately recognize my temper and am then able to reset, breathe, and recover to a calm mindset. Then I apologize to the driver, even if it’s just to myself, and wish them a safe trip wherever they are going. Awareness is about progress not perfection, so if you don’t get it right the first few times BUT you recognize that you could have done better in that situation THAT is the awareness you need to become less reactive in the future and on your way to a happier more peaceful you J.