How often do you say, “I should have…” or “I wish I would have…?” Perspective is everything.
In the rush of our daily lives with work and loved ones in need of our attention, the flow of our days can be smooth and tranquil or jacked up by something unexpected or negative that occurs. Then perhaps you find yourself reacting negatively later in the day. It would be grand, wouldn’t it, to have a continuous easy flow with no interruptions?
When those unexpected times arise, and they will, it’s easy to lose your perspective, especially if you are running on ’empty.’ To react from haste vs. taking a step back and responding with thought instead of negative emotion.
This week I was at a right turn with heavy traffic coming down the road, so I paused to let the right of way open up. I noticed the car behind me was looking over his left shoulder when the vehicle began him letting out a loud blast of its horn. I thought he wasn’t blasting at me…was he?
Traffic lightened up safely enough for me to merge onto the road, and the honking driver came beside me with a flip of his hand and mouth wide open. Just as I was getting ready to respond, a coyote ran out in front of my car. No, I’m not kidding. It was a coyote! As I slammed on my brakes, I saw the coyote’s eyes glaze, and then he ran to the side. I had to chuckle. The universe gave me the power to pause because otherwise, that ‘nice’ man in the other car would get a mouthful from me. And truthfully, what good would that have done?
Refraining from responding to negative energy is not always easy, but when you insert a pause before reacting, you might have a better outcome. Responding to that man would have only elevated an already-escalated situation, and who wins? And why? What happened during his day/life that got him ranked up? No way of knowing, and none of my business. How I reacted was my business.
We all need to slow down and rest from the hectic day-to-day life we sometimes lead. Otherwise, how will you react when something unexpected occurs? Creating a space to pause can result in a better outcome. Making time for yourself is always essential. Thank you, coyote, for reminding me of the power of a pause.
Hugs,
Cyndi Mariner
Breathing Spaces
