Have you seen the video of that guy,
Who stops his baby from crying by chanting OM?
I did, and yup …
It didn’t work for me either. She cried harder. Ha!
And I’m a monk.
I must say I’m a bit disappointed in the absence of monkly (no spell check, not monkey, no) super powers.
Guess I didn’t read the fine print when I signed up, huh?
Yesterday I talked about the power of being really present with your relationships,
How it can even make a demanding squawking bubba monster into a happy, giggling angel.
However:
It doesn’t work all the time. It’s not a cure all.
Everyone would love the super power to make our loved ones’ problems vanish.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing.
But - and so many people do this - taking on, say, your kids’ anxieties is a recipe for disaster.
Feeling their suffering as if it was your own is understandable,
I get that.
It actually doesn’t help them, or you.
This may sound selfish, but actually it’s the opposite:
The best thing you can do for someone who is freaking out about anything,
Is get super calm and present.
Is NOT get wrapped up in it.
It’s not a super power, it doesn’t magically vacuum away their troubles -
But it helps you respond, not react, in a clear way,
So you can do the very best thing for them - from stability and perspective not emotion and exhausting yourself.
It also shows them they also have a choice.
They can get all wrapped up in what is wrong, what is concerning them,
Or they can take a step back and learn to not dwell in it.
They can learn to get present, calm and happy too - no matter what the past or future may contain.
(the past and the future = those mysterious things we think so much about but can do so little with)
Getting good at choosing the “how” is the end of stress. The end of it.
And it’s part of what I teach you in this free challenge to being more mindful -
Which also means you get on my email list and get super regular inspiration and tips like this one:
https://arjunaishaya.lpages.co/houradaymindful/
Go well!
Arjuna
PS.
It is kind of a super power - mindfulness, awareness, the controlling of your mind.
It makes every part of your life easier and more fun.
It removes the worry and doubt and struggle.
What if that ^^^ was true?