Revisiting “Be Slow to Anger”

January 30, 2015 >>> October 7, 2021

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned.” – Gautama Buddha

Six years ago, when I originally posted this quote as daily inspiration, I didn’t include my own commentary because I didn’t think it was necessary. Gautama Buddha’s quote resonated with me enough that I felt it could stand alone and needed no clarification. Well, times have changed and the grudges and resentment I lug around have built up. Lately this quote has been a source of meditation for me. Blame it on Mercury Retrograde or the weather, but as of late I have not felt much like putting anything out there, let alone sharing my thoughts with a world of strangers knowing there are very few people “listening” to these words. Over the past week, I have been challenged, by a variety of mishaps and interactions to process feelings of anger and transform that energy into something higher. The most difficult action for me is letting go of the anger, resentment or grudge I have developed and essentially made a part of my composition.

The problem with all of this–creating & holding grudges, holding anger and resentment is that it really does harm only you. Regardless of how you process or express that anger, you are essentially harmed the most, mentally, spiritually, emotionally. How many times have we created a grudge, held on to it and then years later can’t even remember exactly why we despise someone? Or how often have you lashed out at someone (or something) and when it’s all said and done, you’re the one who walks away with more hurt and less positive energy to move past it. The key to eliminating the prospect of depleting yourself and giving your energy away to anger is to simply get and stay in tune with yourself and keep yourself in check.

Feel those emotions when they introduce themselves and give them an assignment, so to speak. Acknowledge what you are feeling. Think about why you are feeling that way. What works for me is to think about how can I push this energy toward something productive or I ask myself, “what can I do right now that would make me feel better?” It sounds simple and that’s because it really is. Hopefully when you ask yourself that question, in your next instance of anger, the answer is not beat the brakes off of_____________. If it is, I guess do what you gotta do but you will be harming your own growth and progress far more than you will be building a solution.

Choose wisely; because above all else, you have a responsibility to yourself to take care of yourself.

Revisiting Knowledge of Self

August 21, 2015 >>>October 1, 2021

Seven years ago I felt so inspired by this proverb that I blogged about it and have used it as a reminder of the importance of self-worth ever since.  This prompted me to meditate on the power in knowing who you truly are and owning everything about yourself  so that no one else has the power of ownership over you. When you know yourself, you respect yourself and respect will save the world.

Today I made it a point to be intentional in this practice.  It’s important that we don’t just read quotes that resonate with us; recite them or post them for likes. We should all take the wisdom and apply it to our lives.  Look for whatever resonates with you in life and search yourself to find out what makes you feel connected to the material–you’ll often find your soul’s purpose in the things that spark something positive within you.

Throughout the day, I found myself bringing my focus back to this lesson–remembering who I am; who I know myself to be, not what I have decided to believe about myself based on life and my interactions with others.  This was very helpful in my stress management today.  During periods of feeling overwhelmed,  was able to focus my heart and mind on the fact that I know I can meet the challenges in the day. I know that I can accomplish this huge task in this short amount of time.  Being overwhelmed and stressed is not my idea of a great day, but the way I managed the day made my time and productivity satisfying.

As we go about our days and our lives, remember that other people’s decisions about who they think you are do not dictate the direction of your life.  Take time each day and get in touch with your inner self.  Listen to your spirit and begin to remember who you are.  Make extra effort to know yourself in each moment of the day and your decisions will no longer be influenced by the approval of others.  You will step into your purpose and your own level of greatness. Know yourself and open your world to infinite possibilities.

Revisiting “The Freedom Within”

September 28, 2015 >>> September 30, 2021

Today’s inspiration is nothing short of apropos for me. I’ve spent a large portion of my life being preoccupied with what others think of me or more appropriately, what I believe they may think of me. I’ve let these imagined beliefs dictate many of the decisions I’ve made; often ignorant to the fact that allowing imagined external factors to control my movements in life does nothing but nurture and feed fear and anxiety.

Now that I’ve been able to reflect back on these thoughts–post emotional crises, bouts of depression and waves of self-doubt–I now see that I was feeding my anxiety with invented insecurities. The truth of the matter is that what others think, real or imagined, has nothing to do with my path or purpose in life. What a disservice to ourselves to derail our journeys and set up shop on the sidelines just to pretend to have it all together while watching those around you thrive in their lives.

None of us can truly fulfill our purpose or experience serenity if we are not secure within ourselves. It’s time to stop searching for our worth, outside of ourselves, and start reconnecting with everything we need and already have within.