People that Annoy Us

There will always be factors and people that we cannot control; how we respond can determine the quality of our lives.

There are many stories of spiritual masters embracing the presence of an annoying student in their community. There is even one story that documents a teacher paying an irritating person to live among his students. From an everyday perspective, this is difficult to comprehend. We generally work hard to avoid people and things that we find annoying so they don't bother us.

From a deeper spiritual perspective, however, irritation can be an important teacher and indicator that we are making progress on our path. Being able to remain centered and awake even when we feel uncomfortable is much more impressive than doing so in an environment where everything is to our liking. No matter how good we are at controlling our circumstances, there will always be factors and people that we cannot control. How we respond to these experiences to a great degree determines the quality of our lives. The goal of spiritual development is not to learn to control our environment--which is more of an ego-driven desire. And while having some measure of control over our external reality is important, it is when we are confronted with a person or situation that irritates us and we can choose not to react that we know have made progress spiritually. It is when we have mastered our internal reality that we will have become the masters of our lives.

The more we try to eliminate annoyances, instead of learning to handle them gracefully, the further we get from developing the qualities that come with spiritual growth, such as patience, tolerance, and acceptance. It is often in the presence of people and experiences we find annoying that we have an opportunity to develop these qualities. Fortunately for most of us, our lives offer an abundance of opportunities to practice and cultivate these traits.

By Madisyn Taylor, from DailyOm

Posted by Rachel G

What "MindBender" means to me

Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics.

As I work with new sponsees and talk to the newcomer ...the revelation is startling always the same: their thinking is sick, just as mine was and still is from time to time. 

Coming into the program I thought I was the one exception and that the program would not work for me, I was too sick! 

However, with complete honesty, and higher power, and continued dedication no matter how many times I failed ...I can now safely say my mind has been bent and programmed to think different. I have been mind bended, safely for the better!

Written and posted by Andrea E

High On Life

Each road can take you to unimaginable destinations! How foolish to think we can fully immerse ourselves in the joy of life by not being fully present. 

It’s natural to assume having fun at a social gathering, or in general, is associated with a few cocktails in mind. How else will you meet people or feel the thrill of the excitement? But trust this, if you can't remember any of it or for the lack of better judgment "pass the F out" none of it really matters.

What really matters, is that you walk into a room with Grace and you leave the room with Grace. It often reminds me of the Cinderella story. Not only will you leave people wondering "who was this dashing Lady or Gentlemen" they might say, but you also leave with a lasting impression. 

Most importantly, with love and respect for yourself. Here's to carrying your beautiful soul with honor and fortitude!

Written and posted by Rachel G