When was the last time you became annoyed with traffic, rolled your eyes and said out loud: “How much slower can the person in front of me drive? He REALLY would have to speed up to stop!”?
The other day I was driving home and someone pulled in front of me then slowed down. So, I pulled into the passing lane and so did the driver. REALLY???
Then, my brain started kicking into “automatic” FULL-ANNOYANCE GEAR with:
“Should I honk my horn”?
“Is the driver elderly or a lost tourist”?
“This guy is rude squared”
“Dear God in Heaven”
“Deliver me from Evil”
Fortunately, I suddenly recognized what my brain was doing and how it was reacting. I took a DEEP BREATH in and exhaled. My heart rate lessened and a smile started to form at the corners of my mouth. I had caught my brain running amok–again!!!
I reflected back on what my automatic-brain-responses were and through OBSERVING my thoughts, my brain was able to ACCEPT what was happening as “Just-A-Thing.”
No more stories forming in my head.
The simple act of recognizing your annoyances and switching to OBSERVING annoyances without judgment forces the brain to detach from obsessing and becoming even more upset.
Curiously, “observing-the-thought” versus “being-the-thought” mysteriously transforms annoyances into “Just Things Happening”
This is also a very powerful antidote to annoying brain chatter. It is a meditation of sorts and it can be used in any situation where the brain takes over automatically. The trick is to recognize when your brain is taking over without your permission.
I’d like to close with a message from Spirit that may also prove useful to you:
“Be mindful of your mindlessness.”