The stock market collapses, you get tensed. There are widespread protests regarding some recent escalation, you get involved. Crush uploads a new pic on Instagram, of course, you get elated. Meanwhile, a family member or a relative of yours blabbers something out of sync or someone acts probably out of mind, you get frustrated. The list goes on and so do your reactions.
And what do you find at the end of each event? You’ve exhausted yourself and there’s a feeling of discontent. But that’s not the whole story. Your mind was intensely involved in these thoughts and speculations, that you actually focussed on something you never would have chosen if you had the choice. But wait, did you really have no choice?
Umm…hmm. Well, maybe you had sometimes or maybe all of the time? After all, you are not a mercury thermometer to rise up every time on being exposed to heat! The very nature of mercury makes it rise; it really has no option.
But in your case, no matter how obvious a reaction may seem and up to a certain extent hardwired in your habits, there’s a greater element of choice that completes your action.
Now of course it is difficult, that’s why you struggle to stay unperturbed. But can there be a way to stop the wave of information from completely flooding your mind with unwelcomed thoughts? Well, you can use this 3-question check on encountering any information that seems to begin getting on your nerves.
The anti-thermometer check
Check 1: Has this piece of information moved you away from a peaceful state of mind?
Check 2: Should you really do something about it?
Check 3: If yes, then can you do that what requires to be done?
If your answer is yes to all 3 of these questions, only then you can allow the information to completely take over your time and state of mind.
Otherwise, the piece of information you received is just a stray arrow never intended to hit you. And you don’t want to get hit and heat up because of it, do you?
The choice is always yours. You are not a thermometer! 🙂
