To handle upset, try an "out-of-the-box” approach

Key Takeaways

1) Our learned approach for handling upset is to fight it? Has that worked well?
2) An outrageous suggestion is to welcome and open to it instead.
3) As upset is welcomed, not fought, your attention is drawn to Here and Now where all is well!

The Cause of Upset

A lot of people are upset about a lot of things. What to do about that right away, you might ask? For starters, we have to know what causes the upset, which is never at the level of the problem, but with thought. Our "in-the-box” methods for dealing with upset are ineffective because they do not address the real cause.

Therefore, we need first a “stepping out of the box” process, which is to fully feel and accept (that does not mean approve of) every thought, emotion, sensation and experience that appears. Therefore, strange as it sounds, relax into these rather than fighting. Opposition gives them more attention, which is definitely throwing gasoline on the fire!

The Problem & Solution

Then, proceeding to “fully-out-of-the-box” thinking, we can make progress. That involves realizing we do not really understand our thoughts (imagine they have all been translated into Greek), nor do we accurately decode our emotions and sensations. And since we don’t, we can notice them all with casual indifference. Your ego will have a fit since this requires making thoughts meaningless, but that’s okay. The ego is the problem, not the solution.

The more you cultivate an approach of simply observing, noticing, and accepting you will become more aware, peaceful, quiet, more rooted in Here and Now. And guess what: that deep peace and calm - our own Presence - was, is, and always will be present. Without investment in all that noise, what has happened to the upset?

Have a wonderful, peaceful day.
Carol