“Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?”
― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
- Have you ever been so swept up in the heat of the moment that your emotional outburst made things worse?
- Have you ever wished you had just waited a bit or ‘slept on it' before you reacted?
We've all had these moments, I'm sure.
It's that hostile e-mail from a client, that disruptive request from a friend or relative that caught you off-guard or the ‘pop-up' abrasive guest at a dinner party that set your fireworks off.
Stirring Up the Mud
When you've got your knickers in a knot over something, the best thing you can do (because, obviously, your buttons are being pushed for a reason) is to take a time out to reflect on it.
- Why are you being emotionally triggered?
- Is it something you can alchemize (read more about that here: 3 Ways to Alchemize Chaos) — which simply means transmute (can you dowse the flame)?
- Is burning that flame necessary or is it something you can let go of?
- Is this a battle worthy of your energy or can you let this one go (i.e. choose the battles your fight)?
- Do you have to be right or can you simply be the still presence without reacting?
- Can you say what you need to say, be impeccable with your word and then let it go — whatever the outcome?
- If you can sense a situation heating up, can you send out calming energy? Give it a try — it can really work.
If you're in a situation where you can't simply say, ‘let me get back to you‘ — or where you can leave replying to a text message or e-mail until the morning, when you have had time to calm down and reflect — simply say or do nothing. Try and sneak a ‘time-out' by excusing yourself to go powder the old noggin, so you can take a few deep breaths and regroup.
The moment your levers are being pulled and temperature is rising, this is your indicator that you are out of balance. Sometimes they are even old, outworn emotional reactions that no longer serve any purpose. Always question why you are reacting and ask HQ (your higher self) for some guidance and clarity if you are at a loss. Read related article: How to Communicate Instantly with Your Higher Self for Speedy Manifesting
Letting the Water Clear
Never react to something when you are in a heightened emotional state. Even if you think your wording is sound and diplomatic, your energy will come through and it will be perceived in the emotional state you're in.
I've had countless experiences where I have written a perfectly straight-forward e-mail but have been in a raging temper and the recipient has picked up on the hostility even though the words were PC. I now know never to write in any kind of altered emotional state — I only respond when I am in a place of balance and calm.
The situations I have dealt with in a calm state of balance have turned out well. It also helps exponentially when you can visualize the outcome you desire. Practice holding that vision every time you slip into worry about something (always clearly see the desired outcome).
Patience, in these matters, can truly temper a volatile situation.
When ‘the water clears' you will be able to see the situation from more than your emotional reactive state. You can glean different perspectives which will give you a more transparent picture of how to handle the situation. Always speak from your place of truth and integrity.
It is perfectly fine for you to take your time over giving an answer or reacting to a situation. Don't let others pressurize your cooker into exploding.
Cherie Roe Dirksen is a self-empowerment author, multi-media artist and musician from South Africa.
To date, she has published 3 self-help and motivational books and brings out weekly inspirational blogs at her site www.cherieroedirksen.com. Get stuck into finding your passion, purpose and joy by downloading some of those books gratis when you click HERE.
Her ambition is to help you to connect with your innate gift of creativity and living the life you came here to experience by taking responsibility for your actions and becoming the co-creator of your reality. You can follow Cherie on Facebook (The Art of Empowerment — for article updates). She has an official art Facebookpage (Cherie Roe Dirksen – for new art updates). You can also check out her Facebook band page at Templeton Universe.
Cherie posts a new article on CLN every Thursday. To view her articles, click HERE.
This article (Why Patience Truly is a Virtue) was originally written for and published byConscious Life News and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author Cherie Roe Dirksen
