There is a new tradition starting today on the Mindfulness and Psychotherapy Blog. Every Monday I’m going to cite a quote or a poem that is related to mindfulness and psychotherapy in some way and then explore it a bit and how it is relevant to our lives. For me, quotes and poetry can often sink me into a state of greater understanding.
Here is today’s quote from the blog post 10 Quotes for a Mindful Day
”If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.” Pema Chodron
Sure, it’s happened to me. I was driving on the road enroute to the office to see a patient and it seemed like everyone on the road was fleeing from some oncoming catastrophe that was about to hit at any moment (including me). One guy sped by me, cutting me off and was inches away from hitting me. “Hey,” I yelled hoping this guy gets in an accident to teach him a lesson. I felt the anger burning in my heart and mind.
I noticed my muscles tense and my hands white knuckling it on the steering wheel. “Wait a minute,” I thought “I don’t know this guy; I don’t know the issues he’s dealing with right now. He’s obviously in a place of unawareness or maybe even anxiousness. Maybe he actually is running or going to some catastrophe.”
I began to wish him well, safe from harm and from accident. I knew that if he actually was well, he wouldn’t be driving that recklessly and everyone, including him, would be safer on the road. So I had no qualms about wishing him well.
In this way, this man became my teacher, helping me understand that I don’t need to react so aggressively in my mind (or my behaviors). I can acknowledge my anger and still try and put myself in another’s shoes for the purpose of gaining perspective. It even helps me to wish another well as I know there are so many in pain and who are suffering and it’s often from a place of auto-pilot and unawareness where unskillful actions arise.
I could have easily been “driven crazy” from this man’s actions. But instead he became a teacher for me.
In some instances of abuse and trauma, this may be a very difficult practice to do. That is ok; we don’t need to do it with the most difficult people in our lives. We can start with people who are little less triggering.
Who in your life drives you bananas? Can you put yourself in their shoes, seeing their pain, and begin wishing the well (knowing that if they were well then that would benefit you and many others?) What does this teach you about yourself?
As always, please share your thoughts, stories, and questions below. Your interactions provide a living wisdom for us all to benefit from.
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This is a wonderful way of re-orienting our reactions to those around us.
There are difficult people one loves or likes and then there are difficult people one dislikes. And there are difficult people one does not know. Of these the second set is a challenge for most of us. Till we address like and dislike it is a little difficult to be ‘present’ with them. [Difficult neighbours is what i am thinking of :-)]
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