My thoughts on this article from DailyOm.com are at the bottom.
A Matter Of Priorities
Letting Go Of The Little Stuff
We experience numerous disappointments each and every day. Our expectations go unmet, our plans are blocked by circumstance, our wishes go unfulfilled, and we discover that our lives are subject to a myriad of forces beyond our conscious control. In some cases, our response is powerful because we must invest ourselves and our resources to overcome genuine hardship. In others, our reactions are far more passionate than our circumstances likely warrant. The tension that permeates our bodies and minds when we are late for an event, interrupted at work, or sitting in traffic is not inappropriate, but it can interfere with our well-being in profound ways. When we stop worrying about relatively unimportant matters, we can be at peace and devote so much more of ourselves to what is truly important.
The small frustrations and irritations wield such power over us because they rob us of the illusion of control. But every problem is a potential teacherâa confusing situation is an opportunity to practice mindfulness, and difficult people provide us with opportunities to display compassion. There is a natural human tendency to invest copious amounts of emotional energy in minor dilemmas and frustrations in order to avoid confronting those more complex issues that are largely outside the realm of our control. The intensity of our response provides us with a temporary sense of personal power that helps us cope with challenges that might otherwise overwhelm us. But it is only when we let the little stuff go that we discover that the big stuff is not really so devastating after all.
In the stress of a singularly tense incident, differentiating between an inconsequential annoyance and a legitimate challenge can seem a monumental task. Ask yourself whether the emotions you are feeling will be as vivid in a year, a day, or even an hour. As focused as you are on this moment in time, your reward for letting go of your emotional investment may be the very happiness and harmony of being whose loss you are lamenting. Needless aggravation is seldom worth the cost it exacts. You cannot distance yourself from life’s inconsistencies, irritations, and upheavals, but you can relinquish your desire for perfect order and gain peace of mind in the process.
—
Okay, so sometimes it isn’t good to stress the little things, but so often the little things explode into big things. When dealing with other people, yes, there isn’t always control. And I’m the first to admit that I am a control freak! LOL .. but I also know that everything happens for a reason. Getting behind that slow car or getting stuck in traffic, I’m obviously meant to be late for some reason or other. I try to find those reasons, but they are not always apparent. I look and I wonder, but I’m better about getting upset about things such as that.
But then, to me, little things aren’t always just little. If they are consistant, and they keep re-appearing, I think you have to take into consideration that there is something that is supposed to be learned from them. Little things DO matter. You can’t just ignore them because they are small. Stressing over them IS bad, but learning from them is important. Small gestures, short conversations with people you don’t really want to talk to, pet peeves, they all happen for a reason. Watch for them. Learn from them. Don’t ignore them, but don’t stress over them.
If they are causing a lot of stress, do push it aside to contemplate later. Determine why they stressed you so bad and what you could have done to prevent the stress or analyze what might have been learned or what should have been taught. All these things mean something and it is our job, as living entities, to learn from them. Everything has teachable moments, whether we are being taught or the one’s doing the teaching, they are all important.
So, I agree yet disagree with this entry and I wanted to share my thoughts…
