Inner Peace

Inner Peace

“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”

Dalai Lama

I wish I had taken these words to heart long ago. 

How often have I allowed what someone else has said or done to determine how I would react? How often have I lashed out instead of responding peacefully when others’ behavior have pushed a button?

What I am finding, though, is that I am primarily responsible for my actions, and how I respond to others. In saying this, though, I do believe that often times my actions have fallen short, and that I should expect more of myself, especially if my actions lead to another’s exasperation. 

However, in allowing my inner peace to be determined by the actions of another, then I am in reality choosing to give that person more power than they should be allowed. 

I learned a valuable lesson from my son-in-law the other day when he handled a potentially volatile situation with grace and understanding. Where my first reaction would have been to snap, he waited until he could interject a “cooler heads prevail” mentality, and it made all the difference. 

We will always be exposed to moments in time when our inner peace is challenged. If we rise to the occasion then perhaps we can make things better for both parties involved.