Smile . . . For No Good Reason January 30, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Life Balance, Mindfulness, Simplify Your Life.Tags: Anger, Attitude, Happiness, Life Balance, Mindfulness
31 comments
A brief excerpt from Smile for No Good Reason by Dr. Lee Jampolsky:
We have all experienced what it is like to be having a perfectly fine day and have a situation or crisis arise that sends us into a tailspin. It may be something small like a traffic jam making us late, or something more severe like the loss of a job. Our response can seem automatic.
Though at first it may be difficult to accept, freedom depends on recognizing that you’re not upset because of what occurred, you are upset because of how you perceive the situation.
* * * * *
Let’s imagine that you have a favorite coffeehouse that you frequent. The staff knows your name and always has a warm and friendly greeting as you walk through the door.
An extremely grumpy woman whom you have never seen before serves you this particular morning. She appears preoccupied rather than caring about you or what she is doing. As she pours your hot coffee a good portion spills in your lap. Despite your jumping in shock, no apology follows.
Your experience is anger: both toward the waitress and the owner, Joe, for hiring such an incompetent person.
Then, a friend of yours at the next booth says, “Isn’t it great that Joe hired her!”
“Great! Are you out of your mind? She just spilled hot coffee in my lap and walked away,” you reply with your best indignant voice.
“Oh, you didn’t hear the story?” your friend whispers.
“What story?” you angrily reply, still drying off your new slacks, wondering how you will go through the day looking as though you wet your pants.
“Yeah, Joe didn’t know her from Adam. He read in the paper that her husband had died last month in a car accident. Apparently her husband’s health insurance stopped, and she was looking for another job in order to pay for her sixteen-year old son’s chemotherapy for leukemia,” your friend responds.
Now, you still have hot coffee in your crotch, but are you still angry?
Unlikely.
The only thing that shifted was your perception and attitude. Through discovering a reason to be compassionate, your entire experience changed.
When you are upset remind yourself the cause of your discomfort is your own attitude. This is freedom.
Aah . . . that’s better!
To read more and for ordering information: Smile for No Good Reason by Dr. Lee Jampolsky
Remember: How you relate to the issue IS the issue.
