My darling one took me to a rodeo. He decided I should become more acquainted with Americana in all its forms…and that’s okay with me…so far. If I sound hesitant it might be because I’m not certain what he has up his sleeve, or what I’d be letting myself in for if I just gave him carte blanche…who knows I might end up at a football game…definitely not my cup of tea.
But the rodeo was fun…honestly it was. It wasn’t a rhinestone cowboy Las Vegas sort of rodeo, it a was small town, middle of the State of Florida kind of rodeo, with real cowboys. I even said, it might be fun to see a rhinestone cowboy sort of rodeo too, and from the look on his face, I think that was the plan all along. I’ll keep you posted.
The riders looked as though they were twelve….babies…
And then they did this…
And then this happened…
Nothing babyish about it, it’s pretty fierce. They must be covered in bruises and ache all over when all’s said and done.
And it got me thinking…sorry…can’t help it.
These horses don’t want anyone on their back, they buck and kick and maybe even bite for all I know. They’re untrained and no doubt a little wild, just like our minds. Great segue don’t you think? Not so much? I know, but it’s all I’ve got.
Have you ever noticed, that it can really be, challenging, to get your mind to focus on what you want?
It can be really hard to get your mind to think of what you know is a better thought than the one currently getting all the attention. That’s because, like these horses, our minds have run wild, wandering willy nilly as they pleased, leading us into all sorts of mischief and maybe even a little trouble.
At the very least we need a bridle and a woa there, when our minds decide to take a route that’s most definitely not conducive to experiencing happy outcomes. And yes, they might buck and kick because they’re not used to being directed.
We can keep it simple and begin in little ways. We can stop reacting to petty annoyances or frustrations with grumpiness and irritability purely out of habit. We’re so practiced at it that we barely notice we do it. Memo to self…that means you Elle when men removing trees remove the wrong one.
Our unhappiness reaction has been honed over the years. Someone interrupts us, or doesn’t pay attention when we’re talking. It rained on us at the rodeo…. oh wait…that’s just me. We’re running late and there’s a traffic jam…choose your own brand of poison. All manner of little things can create annoyance, resentment and even self-pity – in other words unhappiness.
We can be happier, if not entirely happy, by not adding our own opinion to the situation. It’s just an event and it’s just an opinion. Get a bridle on that mind and begin to rein it in. You’re in charge of what you think and feel. You get to say woa when you’re getting off track and it doesn’t feel good.
Love this quote by Epictetus “Men are disturbed not by the things that happen, but by their opinion of the things that happen.”
If you would change your life, you must begin at the very source, with yourself. And there’s no better time to start than now, better get those reins out…you might be in for a bumpy ride.
Encourage one another.
Love Elle.
xoxo
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2 Comments
Well said ! Examining our reactions grants us the the opportunity to evaluate if our reaction left us feeling happy or not. With a modicum of self-discipline applied to the ideas you outlined in your article, we can expand our experience of happiness while greatly reducing our experience of other things. Thank you.
Write on, Elle !
Isn’t that the big difference between reacting and responding? A response is a choice we’ve made, reactions are our old beliefs and if they don’t serve us well, we’re simply planting more weed seeds to harvest some soon day. At the risk of repeating myself, you should be writing your own blog, or book, or something Joseph. 🙂