A man in Gandhi’s entourage was forever complaining about this, that, and the other. Finally, Gandhi said to him,
“If it is a peaceful and calm life you are seeking, I think it will be easier if you change yourself rather than seeking to change others.
Which will you find easier; to protect your feet with slippers, or to carpet the whole earth?”
It is likely that you can think of something that used to annoy you, and now does not. That means you can change how you react to things.
Here’s a thought experiment…
Think of something that annoys you, and then take part of your attention to one side so you can observe yourself as another person would see you, and watch how you get annoyed when you think about that thing, when you imagine it happening.
Chances are, this simple shift in perspective will make a difference. Getting annoyed by that thing might even now seem ridiculous! How did I ever get so wound up about that?
It will take you less than a minute, so try it now 🙂
Note: Story taken from ‘The Salmon of Knowledge’ a book by Nick Owen.
My best wishes, Paul
