Serenity Now!

Everyday we find ourselves in stressful situations and meet with people who test our patience. It is in such moments when our true character shows. We either keep our cool or show our butts. How we cope has an impact on those around us. We can make those around us fearful, irritated and confused or we can uplift them and make them feel calm by the way we respond. What is your attitude when caught in the daily storms of life?

When faced with a difficult person, don't react. Take a moment to breathe and remember that people act according to their level of emotional maturity and how well they understand themselves. It's never about you. Smile and see them through the eyes of universal love. You have no control over them, but you can choose your thoughts and feelings towards them.

When you find yourself in a stressful situation, try looking at it from a different perspective. Is there something you can learn from this? Breathe. Choose your thoughts carefully and be open to lessons and opportunities that may not be obvious. When you feel your temper starting to rise, take a moment to think about the situation without your emotions in the thought process. Think that this too shall pass. Any reaction that exacerbates your anger-screaming, blaming, raging-will only make things worse and will not fix what's going on in the first place. Take a walk, take a breath, say a mantra that brings you back to who you are.

When all else fails, scream Serenity Now!...just kidding.

I leave you with this clip from Seinfeld. I can't help but laugh out loud when I see it. It is one of the ways I cope...with a good laugh.