When the power went out I bet many of you were wondering how having no power would affect your daily life. Your life was already hard enough to begin with. Your stress level was already at its limit. And then the stress and problems of a power outage was added to it all. So what is this situation an example of? It is an example of our human resistance to change.
When something is changed in our life we seem to get angry or concerned about it. This anger and concern is what leads to riots and protests throughout the world. Someone in the government makes a change and there is most often a group of people that don’t agree with it. This disagreement sometimes may be based on reasoning, but it may also be based on anger and frustration due to our resistance to change. After a few days or weeks with the change we may start to agree with it and wonder why we disagreed with it in the first place. So wouldn’t it be better if we reduce our resistance to change before our anger gets the best of us? I think so.
But first, let me give you a more specific example of how our resistance to change can make life more difficult. Lets say that your friend does something that you do not completely agree with. You cannot believe that they would ever do such a thing. You then get angry with them for doing so without thinking about their side of the argument. Then, the fight between friends begins and it seems like the disagreement will last forever. But if you wait for the anger and frustration to dissipate and then talk to your friend it is more likely that the conversation will end in a hug. Hopefully, looking back, you and your friend will able to look back on that fight, not with anger, but with an open mind. So wouldn’t you want a way to reduce that anger and resistance before it leads to breaking a friendship apart? I have a way to make this happen.
First of all, you can count to ten and wait for the anger to subside before you respond to the change. It is much easier to think clearly when anger is not clouding your judgment. You can also try not to complain or make comments about the change. Complaining only adds to the stress and makes the anger last much longer. Thirdly, if you are in a fight with your friend, you can try to look at the situation through their eyes and with their perspective. It will allow the anger to subside and also help you understand what your friend is going through. It will also allow you to think of what to say to your friend to keep your friendship alive. So what has this taught us? It’s simple really…
“When something in your life has changed, don’t let the anger make your life rearranged.”
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
What We Know From Snow – Part 1
Take a step back and look around the room. I bet you see so many things that you just take for granted. A big screen television set with surround sound; a computer that allows you to read my blog and talk with people all around the world; maybe even a Wii or Xbox system. But did you ever realize how lucky you are to have these things?
This week has been so brutal so many of us in the northeast region of America. Just a little bit of innocent snow shut down power for most of the area. Some of us still are without power. We feel as if we have lost many of the luxuries and conveniences of life. We feel trapped inside of our homes and the stress begins. No heat, no hot water, no showers, no hot meals, and nothing to do. Even with all these problems we must go on with our daily lives at work and at school as if nothing has happened. We feel jealous of the people that are not affected and wish we were in their situation. Most of all we feel that we cannot learn anything from this situation when truly we can.
Now think of the people around the world that face these problems every single day. There are people that are struggling to feed their children and themselves and end up starving themselves so that their children can survive. Adding on to this, these same people do not have a place to call their own. They are forced to live in the streets and drink polluted water and breath toxic air. These people will be lucky to have the small things that we take for granted.
Even though the power may be out everything is still there. Nothing is going to be taken away. You still have your home, your friends and your family. All of the things that make you truly happy, you may be sitting around the candlelit table eating takeout but you’re with the important people in your life. When the power is on these same people may be around less. That’s what makes these times better then all the rest. People are not preoccupied with all the gadgets and gizmos, from watching the game on TV to delving yourself into virtual and unrealistic world of video games.
Let this power outage teach you a lesson. Let it show you what is really important in your life. It may seem that all of life’s luxuries are tangible and rely on electricity to work. It’s not the objects in your life that make you happy; it’s the people that are brought together by the object itself. So go out into the world and look at everything and say…
“I’m lucky to have what I have today.”
This week has been so brutal so many of us in the northeast region of America. Just a little bit of innocent snow shut down power for most of the area. Some of us still are without power. We feel as if we have lost many of the luxuries and conveniences of life. We feel trapped inside of our homes and the stress begins. No heat, no hot water, no showers, no hot meals, and nothing to do. Even with all these problems we must go on with our daily lives at work and at school as if nothing has happened. We feel jealous of the people that are not affected and wish we were in their situation. Most of all we feel that we cannot learn anything from this situation when truly we can.
Now think of the people around the world that face these problems every single day. There are people that are struggling to feed their children and themselves and end up starving themselves so that their children can survive. Adding on to this, these same people do not have a place to call their own. They are forced to live in the streets and drink polluted water and breath toxic air. These people will be lucky to have the small things that we take for granted.
Even though the power may be out everything is still there. Nothing is going to be taken away. You still have your home, your friends and your family. All of the things that make you truly happy, you may be sitting around the candlelit table eating takeout but you’re with the important people in your life. When the power is on these same people may be around less. That’s what makes these times better then all the rest. People are not preoccupied with all the gadgets and gizmos, from watching the game on TV to delving yourself into virtual and unrealistic world of video games.
Let this power outage teach you a lesson. Let it show you what is really important in your life. It may seem that all of life’s luxuries are tangible and rely on electricity to work. It’s not the objects in your life that make you happy; it’s the people that are brought together by the object itself. So go out into the world and look at everything and say…
“I’m lucky to have what I have today.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)