Please Leave the Toliet Seat Up!

How little annoyances are really big blessings.

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction." ~E.F. Schumacker

As a child I would frequently notice adults getting angry over what I perceived as the dumbest most pointless things ever. In my naïve (or maybe brilliant) little mind I couldn’t fathom why a person would choose to find upset in things like ‘spilt milk’. Yet here I am noticing that it has also become my way of dealing with things. I am thankful to say that I am now slowly, but surely, undoing my way of doing.

I once heard an “expert” infer that the greatest stressors are not found in the big life altering events but in the little frustrations of day to day living.

I find that very interesting, and I can say that so far it has been true for me. It amazes me at times all that I can handle, and especially the things that I really can’t seem to handle well at all.

Here is the breakdown (not literally)…

CAN HANDLES:

Divorce
Illness
Car accidents
Financial Distress
Death
Economic Meltdowns
Abuse
Depression

CAN’T HANDLES:

Houseflies
Dropped calls
Bikes left out on the lawn
Onion breath
Flyers, handouts, paperwork
Slow computers
Untrimmed mustaches
Dandelions
Pokemon, Digimon, anything ending in “mon”

Could there be a lesson to learn in everything? Even in the big things that we love and in the littlest things that bug?

What if we began to question are opinions on all of our annoyances, instead of proudly proclaiming them as simply “apart of our personality,” and finding connection through complaining. Maybe, these little things are not so much distracters from our purpose in life, but directors.

If my child comes to me with peanut butter and jelly all over their face, hands and clothing, what is my purpose in that moment? Is it my purpose to scold and correct them? Maybe, or we might invent a new purpose: to experience joy and good humor?

To Do:

Ask for “new eyes.” Go within and give yourself permission to see things differently. Don’t be surprised if your mind rejects this idea. It wants continuous proof of its own rightness. Instead, ask your heart which is much more generous than your mind.

“Reality is much kinder then the stories we make up about it.” ~Byron Katie

If my spouse continuously forgets our anniversary, what is my purpose in that? Is it to feel sorry for myself and see my partner as a villain? Yes it is, until it becomes my purpose to REMEMBER all that makes the relationship beautiful and sacred.

To Do:

Consider: If God is loving and the universe supportive, what is the highest thought that I could have about this situation?

If your grandmother keeps knitting you strange looking beanies, is it your purpose to be annoyed? Or maybe it could be your purpose to let the gift warm your heart instead of your head.

To Do:

Wonder: What is the deaper message here? What is truly trying to be conveyed?

I love this quote which I think sums it all up very well…
"Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you." Lao Tzu