All of us would have either seen this or experienced this first hand.
“A baby is crying uncontrollably due to some distress. What does the parent do? Distract the infant from the source of distress and magically, it calms down.”
Our mindset is like the toddler. It can get into a state of distress very easily but also it is equally easy to calm the mind down, if we know the right trick.
Gratitude is a great source of positive distraction for a disturbed mind.
A mind in a state of gratitude cannot carry negative emotions.
Therefore, to prevent a calm mind from getting disturbed there is a simple trick- Invoke gratitude.
- I am irritated. I am stuck in a traffic jam- “I am lucky, I have some free time- I can listen to some great podcasts”
- I am disturbed by a difficult conversation with a colleague- “Thank god, my workplace is so good that I can have an open and challenging conversation with someone without feeling threatened”
- I am stressed. A water pipe has burst and the kitchen is flooded. “I am lucky this was just a water pipe and not a gas pipe”
- I am upset. My house helper has gone on unscheduled leave and the house is unkempt. “I am grateful I have a roof on my head”
- I am anxious. Someone is not keeping commitments- “The quality of his work is so good. I am so glad he is in my team”
The next time something upsets you- Try this simple trick. It works, always.