Breathe & Think Better

Nirjal Dawadi

Every day many of us get annoyed with people and their situations when they fail to live up to our expectations. We reject these people and their ‘problems’ because they somehow seem different than our own. We feel like we need something better, something more from them, and we scream inside!

The truth is, when someone upsets us, they aren’t behaving according to our fantasy of how they should behave. As human beings, again, we all have an idea in our heads about how things are supposed to be, and sadly this is what often messes us up the most. We all get frustrated and angry when things don’t play out the way we expect them to, and people don’t behave like they’re ‘supposed’ to.

Calmness is a human superpower! Regardless of the situation, the ultimate measure of our wisdom and strength is how calm we are when facing the situation. The ability to not overreact or take things personally keeps our mind clear and our heart at peace, which instantly gives us the upper hand.

Breathe, and think better. You can’t control how other people behave. You can’t control everything that happens to you. What you can control is how you respond to it all. In your response is your greatest opportunity. When you feel like your lid is about to blow, take a long deep breath. Deep breathing releases tension, calms down our fight or flight reactions, and allows us to quiet our anxious nerves so we choose more considerate and constructive responses, no matter the situation.

There’s no doubt that it can drive us crazy when we don’t get what we expect from people, especially when they are being rude and difficult. But trying to change the unchangeable, wanting others to be exactly the way we want them to be, just doesn’t work. The alternative, though, is to breathe, to let go, to lead by example, and to accept people even when they irritate us.

Let go of the ideals and expectations we have about others, and life in general, that causes unnecessary frustration, drama, and bouts of anger. When others are being difficult, they may be often going through a difficult time we know nothing about. And give them empathy, love, and space.!