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How
do we react?
Let's consider a couple of examples:
* We walk into a room and see a table groaning under the
weight of food. If we're hungry, our tummy begins to rumble and our mouth
begins to salivate, but if we're on board ship and we've been
suffering from seasickness for the past couple of days, we run
for the side of the ship and wish we hadn't strolled into that
room just then.
* A sensitive person sees a nasty traffic accident and
immediately feels sorry for the victims, whilst a press
photographer pushes forward to capture the picture of the
century.
* A song which we heard sung at a friend's wedding reminds us
of that happy occasion, whilst the same song sung at a funeral
makes us feel instantly sad. And our reaction to that song is
forever conditioned by those events.
* A burnt-out house is a calamity, but it also suggests the
possibility of rebuilding.
So, it's not what happens that is important to us, but our
reaction to it. Our mental filter decides how we should
react, whilst our experiences regulate that filter for us.
Wouldn't it be nice, then, if we could be
"sensible" and only react favorably to what we see
around us? Wouldn't it be nice if we only saw the best side of
people, and not dwell on their bad points? Wouldn't it be nice
if we could come away with pleasant memories of every event -
whether it was happy or sad?
Some lucky people have the ability to see the funny side of
every situation. Or is it they have taught themselves to do
this?
But some unhappy people seem only able to see the black
side of things. They forever dwell on doom and gloom. "And
where will it all end?" they constantly moan. They make us
feel fed up to our high teeth too. They just aren't pleasant to
be around.
But they choose to be like this, you know. I don't know why,
but they just do.
Now, we can choose how we react to every given situation. It
takes a bit of effort, but we can do it. So why not start
putting our experiences into perspective and seeing them for
what they are, without apportioning too much weight to them.
We will be glad we did, so let's start doing it today. Better
still, now!
- Warren Roff-Marsh
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