Last night as I was going about my normal routine of getting ready for bed, I was thinking that I needed to work harder on letting things go. Then it started, reality set in again this morning. I forgot to get gas in my work truck on Friday when I came home. Then I realized as I was starting to leave my neighborhood that I overlooked putting out the recycling. I started to become frustrated, then I thought…let it go.
I have a problem with my frustration getting the best of me at times that of course is bad for my health both physical and mental. My attitudes about conflict, frustration, rude people and things like traffic have been changing because I realized it is affecting my health in a negative way.
There are still times where I get frustrated but no longer whole days. I am slowly realizing that others attitudes and problems don’t have to be mine. It is not my responsibility to own others bad attitudes, anger and poor behavior. When I feel the frustration come on I am recognizing it faster and faster each time and letting it go.
I suspect that this will be a daily exercise that I must go through, but to my delight I realized that I have a life full of teachers to help me, co-workers,, family the ‘chimps’ in traffic I commute with everyday…yea lots of people to help me to just let it go.
My health and yours are not worth ruining by being worked up and angry over everything that comes our way. Living your life in a “fight or flight” mode will just destroy your mind and body.
As a species we evolved to deal with stress on an acute level and then resolve it because it was over. Examples of this were, running from predators, fighting other humans and hunting for dinner. Stress on a chronic level is one among many of the reasons that we as a society have severe health problems.
Life is too short to try to keep doing the impossible or do it all. Multitasking is not healthy or even really possible. We developed to do one thing at a time and do it well. Take time to let things go if you can’t resolve them. Make decisions and then act on them without looking back and questioning yourself.
Go to bed earlier and get some rest, not just one night but all of the time. Let yourself relax. Let things go that you have no control over, really what choice do you really have? Stress is what you think it is.
Be kind you the person who matters most in your life…. You! There is only one you and you can’t be there for others unless you calm yourself and recharge your batteries. It is more important now than it has ever been in history.
Be well this day.
JP
onbeingdifferent 