When she came in Tuesday, she asked, “What’s going on? It feels like everyone is on edge!”
“They are!” I said. Almost everyone who is coming into my office is in a “freeze” state. It’s like there has been so much going on that people’s central nervous systems are just overwhelmed.
During her session, I got a startling text message from my husband, “DON’T GO OUT! Terrorist Attack downtown; maybe more!”
My heart goes out to all those affected by the attack on Tuesday.
Every week, it seems like there is another catastrophe. And, everyone is on edge, stressed and agitated.
My client began telling me this story. She was on a crowded train the day before, and she noticed an older man struggling to hold on with so many people on the train.
At one of the stops, everyone had to get out to let others off the train, then get back on board. She noticed the older man wasn’t able to get back on, and from the opposite door she yelled, “Hey everyone, that man was on the train before, could we all move in and let him in?”
Then a man turned and yelled at her, “Lady, I am not moving anywhere; shut up and mind your own business, f–ing busybody!”
She could feel her face redden with rage and her heart beating faster, and she was about to yell something back when a lady next to her gently put her hand on her back and whispered, “It’s not worth it.”
As the train moved on, she took some deep breathes to try to calm down, and she said a prayer to the angels to help both the older man and the angry man. She was angered and saddened by the whole exchange. And, now, she was hearing about another horrible hate-filled act! “What is this world coming to? What is going on in The Universe? Where has humanity and love gone?”
I replied, “Couldn’t you feel it? That lady put her hand on your back and stopped you from lowering yourself into a negative dialogue with this man. If you had reacted and yelled back, you would have escalated the anger, now present on both sides, and potentially provoked someone getting hurt. The Universe has your back, touched you there, and protected you. As a result, you were able to send some positivity to both men versus get into a bigger fight.”
With everyone feeling more “on edge” these days, you may be witnessing outbursts like this too.
And I invite you to be aware of how you are reacting. Like energy and emotions attract like; anger elicits anger. How can you diffuse the tension and act in a way that represents what you want to see in the world?
“Oh my goodness, so sorry if I offended you. I would get off and let him in myself, but I am stuck back here.Just trying to do the right thing for this man that could be our father.”
How can you act in a way, even when provoked by someone else’s anger, that is in alignment with who you want to be and to see in the world?
Heated interactions tend to happen when we are stressed.
While there is so much happening in the world, I invite you to do the Stress Relief Exercise Below daily; it takes under 5 minutes! It can help you be calmer and to have the bandwidth to be the person you want to be and to see in the world.
You can be the change you want to see in the world one interaction at a time. If we all could all be responsible for the emotions we are sharing, and choose kindness over stress, agitation, and reactivity, what could change?
You have this power;
Please use it.
It will make your world and ours better;)
Your FREE Stress Relief Exercise from Lara Riggio from Lara Licharowicz on Vimeo.
Much love,
Lara
