NOTICING ANY OVERREACTIONS
"Overreactions are another very sound guide to what is
really going on in your heart.
"Did you go over the top about anything during the day?
What triggered the reaction?
How do you feel about it in hindsight?
"An overreaction like this
is like the bubbles from a submerged shark.
It is a telltale sign that something bigger is lurking
under the surface of what you see.
"If you notice bubbles like this coming up in your day,
it may be very important to stop at that point
and ask yourself — without judgment! —
where are these bubbles really coming from?
"If you lost your temper with a colleague,
or grumbled at the neighbor's children,
or you came close to road rage with another driver,
where was this negative energy coming from?
"Very often you will find that it isn't all it seems to be.
"The driver who enrages you may actually be activating
deeper reasons for your anger.
"The girl who delays you in the supermarket,
by chatting needlessly to the person in front of you,
may actually be doing you a favor.
She may be the signal that warns you
that the pressures in your life are running dangerously high."
THE GIFT OF LIFE'S IRRITATIONS
"Life is full of minor and major irritations.
The irritant can be a pain — but the pain itself can be
the symptom of something more seriously wrong.
"Pain is in some ways a blessing.
It is the body's early warning system that
something is wrong, and needs attention,
before it becomes a threat to health and life.
"The irritants that get under our skin,
and make us overreact,
can be blessings too.
They can be our inner early warning system
that something needs attention,
before it threatens our inner well-being,
our relationships,
or even our integrity.
"The grit in the oyster
is the irritant that becomes the pearl.
"Don't disregard the irritants of your daily life.
They may have the makings of precious pearls of wisdom.”
