Transform your day right now
The mind can go in a thousand directions when we have to wait or if we are bored. If we are stuck in the car, bus, or subway we may be frustrated because we are trying to get somewhere. Feelings of irritation and stress may arise at work or waiting at the post office. Generally, when we find ourselves in a situation that challenges our expectation of how things “should” be, our first reaction can be negative. We may have been feeling quite zen until the traffic stopped, but now…
So how do we deal with this? The first step is simply to have the awareness that your thoughts create your suffering. It is not the external conditions, but the internal chaffing that makes us miserable.
Once you realize what you are doing, choose to do something else. You can follow your breath, you can count your gratitudes, etc.
My favorite way to transform waiting is to practice Loving-Kindness Meditation. I look at each person around me and wish them well like this:
May you be filled with loving-kindness
May you be well
May you be peaceful and at ease
May you be happy
Note that it may feel strange to break your old pattern in this way. Change isn’t often easy, but the payoff is great. Instead of checking in with my iPhone this morning, I practiced this well-wishing in the YMCA gym to all the other gym-goers. I left feeling elated. You can try this with people who may be around you right now, and transform your day.
Your turn now! What are the specific places where you start to feel uncomfortable or agitated in daily life? Do you have a game plan for transforming that moment?
Thank you so much for reading!
Be well,
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