Daily Mindfulness 10/29/12 – Reacting

We often find ourselves reacting rather than responding.  We hear or see something we do not like, and our mind races.  We may say or do something that we did not intend to, and we often feel uncomfortable with ourselves after we have reacted.

With mindfulness, we can feel the mind speed up, feel the anger arise, and recognize our feelings before it is too late.  In order to respond rather than react, we try to calm ourselves when we feel this coming on.  When somebody says something that we disagree with, or that may cause a reaction, we recognize the anger arising, take a deep breath, and if appropriate, excuse ourselves.  The important part is that we are practicing enough mindfulness to know when our temperature begins rising.  It is best to not even get to the point of a reaction being an option.