LEARN TO ACT AS IF NOTHING BOTHERS YOU - C.S.LEWIS Motivation

have you ever felt like the weight of the world is on your shoulders like every little thing that goes wrong just piles on more and more stress until you feel like you can't take it anymore I know I have but what if I told you there was a way to rise above all of that a way to let go of all the frustrations annoyances and struggles that drag you down day after day it's simple but not always easy learn to act as it nothing bothers you you might be thinking that's easier said than done and

you're right it does take practice but let me tell you it's a skill worth developing when you can maintain your composure stay calm and keep smiling no matter what chaos is happening around you you send a powerful message to the world and to yourself the message is I am in control of my own well-being external circumstances do not have the power to disturb my peace think about the people you admire most in life the ones who always always seem to keep their cool Under Pressure world leaders emergency responders great athletes prolific artists and scientists one

thing they all have in common is the ability to maintain focus and perform at a high level even in intensely stressful situations the key is they have conditioned themselves to not be reactive to every little thing this doesn't mean they don't feel stress or frustration of course they do they're human but they have trained their minds to not dwell on it or let it consume them they acknowledge the feeling and then let it pass through them like a cloud moving across the sky they don't cling to it or get caught up in an endless mental

Loop of negativity one way to start practicing this is to notice your thoughts and selft talk when difficulties arise do you immediately go to worst case scenario thinking do you start casting blame on yourself or others those types of thoughts will only amplify your distress Instead try to catch yourself and reframe the situation in a more neutral way for example let's say you're stuck in a terrible traffic jam and you're going to be late for an important meeting it's natural to feel your blood pressure start to rise as impatient thoughts raise through your mind why

is this happening to me I'm going to be in so much trouble my boss is going to be furious notice those thoughts but don't engage with them take a deep breath and calmly tell yourself there is nothing I can do about this traffic I'll get there when I get there I'll apologize for the delay but I won't let being late ruin my entire day you're facing the reality of the situation without adding extra layers of stress and catastrophizing on top of it acting as if nothing bothers you doesn't mean you have to plaster on a

fake smile to 24/7 and pretend to be happy no matter what it's not about denying or suppressing your honest feelings quite the opposite it's about expanding your capacity to deal with challenges it's about building resilience adaptability and mental toughness I think of your mind as a still Lake when a rock is thrown into the lake it makes a splash and ripples form disrupting the calm surface but in time the turbulence subsides and the lake returns to Stillness a truly Serene mind is like that it can take the impacts of life's proverbial rocks without being permanently

agitated in every moment we have a choice we can't always control what happens to us but we can control how we respond we can choose to react with frustration anger and despair or we can choose to take a breath and calmly deal with the situation at hand we can choose to let minor annoyances steal our joy or we can choose to keep things in perspective of course I'm not suggesting that we should be emotionless robots we are meant to feel the full spectrum of human emotions including difficult ones like sadness anger and pain these feelings

are part of the richness of Life the goal is not to eliminate them but to develop a healthy relationship with them to not be controlled by them or let them overpower our ability to think and act clearly when we fixate on everything that is going wrong we miss out on appreciating what is going right we Overlook moments of beauty kindness and Grace we forget how much we have to be grateful for even in the midst of hardship a resilient mind is able to see the good alongside the bad and maintain a balanced Outlook this mindset

shift doesn't happen overnight like any skill it requires consistent practice start with the small stuff when someone cuts you off in traffic when your coffee order gets messed up when your kids are bickering for the hundredth time that day use those moments as opportunities to practice keeping your cool notice when you start to get worked up take a deep breath and consciously choose a Karma response as you start to flex this mental muscle you'll find that your capacity to handle stress increases things that used to really rattle you will start to seem more manageable you'll

be less reactive and better able to navigate challenges with Clarity and Poise and the beautiful thing is this inner peace and equilibrium will radiate outward and positively impact those around you as well when we are in a state of inner turmoil we tend to spread that energy to others even unintentionally think about a time when you were around someone who was extremely stressed out or negative chances are you started to feel t T and irritable as well in contrast think about how you feel around someone who exudes calmness and positivity even in difficult circumstances that

Poise is contagious in the best way by learning to act as if nothing bothers you you become a Force for good in the world you demonstrate what is possible when we tune out the noise and tune into our own wisdom and strength you inspire others to rise above pettiness and drama you contribute to a culture of resilience and Grace Under Pressure now I want to be very clear acting as if nothing bothers you does not mean tolerating mistreatment or Injustice it doesn't mean never standing up for yourself or others there is a huge difference between

getting worked up over minor inconveniences versus setting healthy boundaries and advocating for what is right one of the most powerful examples of maintaining composure in the face of extreme adversity is the Civil Rights movement activists like Martin Luther King Jr Rosa Parks and John Lewis endured Unthinkable hatred violence and oppression as they fought for equality yet they met vitrio with dignity ignorance with truth brutality with unyielding commitment to nonviolence their ability to keep marching to keep sitting at the lunch counters to keep speaking truth to power even as they were beaten jailed and degraded was

a testament to the indomitable human Spirit they demonstrated what it means to be unshakable in one's convictions to have a moral compass that is not swayed by external forces no matter how Fierce now most of us thankfully will never face the level of hostility and danger that these Brave leaders did but we can still learn from their example we can practice being Guided by our highest principles rather than getting caught up in Petty squabbles we can practice responding to negativity with love and patience rather than more negativity we can practice standing firm in our truth

even when it is unpopular or inconvenient this inner steadiness this ability to not be easily provoked or discouraged is the mark of a truly strong and free spirit when we are constantly being toppled by The Winds of circumstance when every little thing throws us into a tizzy we are not operating from a place of genuine power real power is the ability to stay centered no matter what swirls around us think of a great tree with deep sturdy Roots When a storm hits the leaves and branches may get whipped around violently but the trunk remains stable

and The Roots hold fast the same is true for us we can't stop the metaphorical storms of life from coming but we can work on growing our inner Stillness and stability so we can weather them with Grace what one of the keys to cultivating this Equanimity is to get some perspective so often we get utterly consumed by minor frustrations and fleeting troubles blowing them way out of proportion we lose sight of the big picture and what truly matters a potent antidote to this tunnel vision is gratitude when we take time to appreciate the abundance of

blessings in our lives it is like adjusting the lens of a camera to a wide angle view yes that one annoyance is still there but now you can see it in the context of all the good surrounding it you remember what an Incredible Gift it is to be alive to have people who love you to have opportunities to learn and grow and contribute this doesn't mean denying or minimizing hardship gratitude is not about pasting a smelly face sticker over real pain and struggle it's about recognizing that even in the darkest of times there are still

glimmers of light if we are willing to look for them it's about training our minds to see the full truth of reality not just fixate on what is broken another way to keep small troubles in perspective is to remember your own strength and resilience think back on all the challenges you have overcome in your life all the times you have picked yourself up after getting knocked down you are still here you are still standing you have made it through 100% of your worst day so far that is not a small thing so often we underestimate

our own tenacity and adaptability we think we can't handle discomfort or uphe but the truth is we handle it every single day in ways large and small every time we persist through physical pain or illness every time we get back up after a disappointment or failure every time we must the courage to have a difficult conversation or make a tough decision we are proving to ourselves that we are capable of meeting adversity with poise the more we remind ourselves of this Inner Strength the more we reinforce our belief in our ability to cope with whatever

life throws our way we start to trust that even if something does bother us in the moment we will be able to move through it and come out the other side this confidence creates a self-fulfilling prophecy The More We believe We can handle challenges calmly the more calmly we actually handle them of course nobody is asking you to be unfappable all the time we are human and we will inevitably have moments of frustration anger anxiety and overwhelm the goal is not Perfection but practice the more we Flex our resilience muscle the stronger it gets but

it doesn't mean we will never feel the burn of exertion in fact those moments when we do get knocked off balance are actually golden opportunities for growth they show us where we still have room to expand our capacity for Equanimity they highlight the thoughts and triggers that tend to Hooker so we can work on unhooking every Great Sage and spiritual teacher throughout history has emphasized the importance of self-awareness for good reason it is the foundation of personal transformation we cannot change unconscious patterns if we are not consciously aware of them we have to be willing

to honestly look at ourselves to notice our mental and emotional habits without judgment this takes courage and humility it's not always Pleasant to confront our own reactivity and pettiness the ego prefers to believe that it is always in the right and everyone else is to blame for our distress but if we want to cultivate true composure we have to be willing to take responsibility for our own responses a powerful question to ask when you notice yourself getting worked up is what can I learn from this instead of just stewing in the frustration get curious about

it what is this irritation trying to teach you is there an unmet need or unexpressed emotion beneath the surface is there an old wound or insecurity being triggered by bringing compassionate awareness to Our rough edges we create space for healing and growth we loosen the grip of old patterns and make room for new more skillful ways of being this is the path of personal Evolution Shining a light on the Shadows within so we can transmute them into wisdom and strength as we do this inner work we naturally become less reactive to external provocations we develop

the capacity to pause before responding to choose our actions rather than being driven by impulse we learn to let pettiness and negativity roll off us like water off a duck's back this doesn't mean we become doormats or pushovers in fact I would argue that true composure requires health healthy boundaries and assertiveness when we are secure in ourselves when we are not easily rattled by the opinions or actions of others we can stand our ground calmly and confidently think about a parent who is able to set clear consistent limits with their children without yelling or losing

their temper that is a sign of inner strength and emotional maturity it communicates I am in charge here I am not going to be manipulated by Tantrums or guilt trips the same principle applies in all our relationships and interactions composure is not about suppressing our feelings or needs it's about expressing them in a measured skillful way it's about responding rather than reacting about communicating clearly and directly without attacking or blaming it's about being able to disagree without being disagreeable when we cultivate this kind of unflappable poise it has a profound ripple effect on those around

us it creates a feeling of safety and stability that allows others to relax and be at ease it diffuses tension and drama before it can escalate it models emotional maturity and invites others to rise to that level I think about the great leaders and change makers throughout history who were able to inspire masses of people to work together towards a common goal one of the qualities they all had in common was the ability to stay focused and collected in the face of pressure and opposition their unwavering belief in their mission was contagious their courage in

the face of adversity was galvanizing that kind of leadership doesn't require a fancy title or position of power we can all be leaders in our own lives by practicing the art of poise Under Pressure we can all contribute to a more peaceful resilient World by learning to act as if nothing bothers us not in a superficial disconnected way but in a deeply root rooted unshakable way so where do we start how do we begin to cultivate this inner steadiness and Grace Under Fire the first step is simply to set the intention make a conscious commitment

to yourself that you are going to work on expanding your capacity for Equanimity and composure write it down say it out loud anchor it in your mind and heart then start paying attention notice when you are getting hooked by little annoyances and irritations observe your thoughts and emotional responses with curiosity and compassion take a deep breath and see if you can let the reactivity pass through you without getting swept away by it practice responding to difficulties with a sense of perspective and resilience remind yourself of your own inner strength and resourcefulness look for the lesson

or opportunity in the challenge choose to focus on Solutions rather than dwelling on problems take good care of yourself when we are rundown stressed and depleted our capacity for equinity and Poise is diminished make sure you are getting enough rest nourishing food and regular exercise carve out time for activities that replenish your energy and bring you Joy the better you feel physically and emotionally the more resilient and adaptable you will be cultivate a support system of people who Inspire and encourage you surround your yourself with positive resilient Role Models learn from those who embody Grace

Under Pressure and be that kind of role model for others especially for young people who are still forming their coping strategies and emotional habits remember this is a practice not a Perfection there will be days when you lose your cool when you get sucked into the Vortex of drama and reactivity don't beat yourself up about it forgive yourself learn what you can and recommit to your intention every moment is a fresh opportunity to begin again as you continue to practice meeting life with equinity you will start to notice a shift the little things that used

to ruffle your feathers will lose their charge you will be able to navigate challenges and setbacks with more flexibility and resilience you will have more energy and mental space to focus on the things that truly matter to you this is the gift of learning to act as if nothing bothers you it is not about becoming a robot or a doormat it is about becoming a master of your own mind and emotions it is about cultivating the freedom to choose your response to Life's inevitable ups and downs it is about embodying the unshakable peace and strength

that is your Birthright as a human being so take a deep breath Square your shoulders and step forward into your day with the intention to meet whatever comes your way with Grace and Poise remember you have everything you need within you to handle anything life throws at you trust in your own resilience and let that inner calm be your guide in time acting as if nothing bothers you will become more than just an act it will become your way of being in the world and from that place of centered equinity there is no limit to

the good you can create in your own life and in the lives of those around you