Greetings and welcome to 2024 Week 16,
Take a Breath.
Wouldn't it be nice to have people do what we want them to do all day long?
Good luck with that.
We live in a society of free will.
Every day we make choices.
Each person takes a path that will be filled with learning experiences for that individual.
You can't make anyone do anything they don't want to do.
The only behavior you can control is your own.
A reminder of this is watching a two-year-old or any child have a tantrum.
The child will stop when ready,
No matter what anyone tries to say or do to him or her.
We can't control anyone as much as we may think we can.
We can't control anyone as much as we may think.
We can learn to accept people for who they are,
Not who we want them to be.
Learn to manage your ability to respond to others and check in with yourself.
Learn to step back and check your expectations.
Practice.
Before you ask anyone to change his or her behavior,
Think about your expectations.
Is this change for your benefit because it would make you more comfortable?
How would you feel if someone wanted you to change your behavior?
Affirmation.
I accept people for who they are in my life.
That was an excerpt from my book e-book audiobook,
Why Struggle Life Is Too Short to Wear Tight Shoes.
You can't make anyone fill in the blank.
Fill in the blank.
Suzanne is my oldest friend and we usually chat a few times a week.
Whenever I get annoyed because someone didn't do something I thought they should,
She reminds me that people have their own priorities that take up space in their head,
And that is a very valid point.
When I woke up this morning,
I had things on my mind that I wanted to do.
I bet you did as well.
What I plan or need to do,
Where I want to go,
Or who I plan to reach out to,
And so on.
Unless you're working on something together,
People may not be thinking about what you have on your mind.
I know,
What's wrong with them,
Right?
Don't they know my priorities?
Expecting someone to make your thoughts a priority is futile.
They are not in your head thinking your thoughts.
I've gotten better about stopping my mind from creating stories which may or may not be true.
What helps me is to take a few breaths.
Hmm,
Sounds like a great time to practice taking a breath.
Let's do it.
What we'll do is take four breaths in through the nose and eight breaths out through the mouth.
It's simple and easy and takes just over a minute.
You can do a few rounds of this breathing while driving or walking too.
It's a great way to relax your mind and your body.
You can practice this a few times during the day as well.
I'll do the counting and you do the breathing.
Are you ready?
Let's begin.
Breathe in 2 3 4 out 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.
In 2 3 4 out 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.
In 2 3 4 out 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.
In 2 3 4 out 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.
In 2 3 4 out 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.
In 2 3 4 out 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.
In 2 3 4 out 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.
In 2 3 4 out 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.
In 2 3 4 out 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.
Take a moment to notice how you feel right now in this present moment.
This breathing technique is very powerful.
Whenever we breathe out longer than in,
We're sending a signal to our brain to calm our body down.
Maybe the next time you find yourself moving into a state of annoyance because someone isn't reading your mind,
Try breathing out longer than you breathe in to keep yourself in a calm place.
This was 4 in and out 8.
As long as the exhale is longer than the inhale,
You will feel the benefits of the breathing practice.
So,
How do you feel after taking a few intentional breaths?
Let me know by leaving a comment wherever you are listening to this podcast.
