My overall composure and reactionary self was put to the test recently. A negatively charged interaction...okay, more like a belittling assault before an audience was launched on my person. My body tensed, anger coursing through every part of me, and then it stopped. Well, actually I made the conscious effort to recognize what was happening, and I snuffed what could have perpetuated a vicious circle of toxicity. I could have matched the verbal lashing with stinging jabs of my own, but I grabbed my phone and texted my frustration to a friend instead.
I've certainly gained more control over knee-jerk reactions, but this moment was a turning point. Not only did I resist the urge to retort, I also pushed myself to go one step further, and quietly gave the person what they wanted. It wasn't necessarily enabling the bad behavior as much as it was bolstering the positive energy level to right a quickly darkening atmosphere.
The moment realization dawns that balance and sense of peace are the most important things, it is far easier to see the path to restoring them. Knowing that I am capable of assessing what is actually occurring, even in the most familiar stressing situations, gives me confidence that I am always capable and up to the challenge of bettering myself. I may still have to work on how I react when my kids, or those closest to me, do or say something that irritates me, but progress truly is a beautiful thing.
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