Picking Up Trash

Who knew that the simple act of picking up trash that had blown into our pasture could be so much fun. 

The other day while Chuck was busy clearing some limbs and bringing them to the burn pile the two older grandsons and I decided to take a pasture ride in our Mule. 

Chuck had pointed out that some debris had blown into the pasture, and asked if we would we mind picking it up. We live off of a highway so this isn’t uncommon. Since we run cows on the property it’s not a good idea to leave trash for them to investigate.  In case you didn’t know, cows are extremely curious creatures. 

As we made our way down to the front pasture I spied a large styrofoam drink cup. I hopped out to pick it up when I heard my 8 year old grandson yell, “Don’t touch it.” It was then I realized that he might have an affinity for germs. 

He reached in the back of the Mule and got the “grabber.” Apparently I like to live on the edge because I picked the cup up with my bare hands and threw it in the back of the Mule. 

We continued on with each boy taking turns retrieving trash using the “grabber.” Suddenly I heard one of the boys say, “Eeew a mouse!” I immediately responded with, “A dead mouse?”

My 6 year old grandson piped up with, “No a computer mouse.” I immediately burst into laughter. Picking up trash with these boys had been absolutely delightful. I hadn’t l laughed that hard in ages. 

Sometimes I envy the innocence of childhood and the ability to find joy in the simple things. 

“It is that sense of mystery and wonder and intense focus and fascination we lose as we age, that we need to recover, reclaim, own, cherish and share.”   Patti Digh  Life is a Verb

Respond vs React

 

Continuing with the Stoic teaching of control one thing to consider is response vs reaction.

Do you respond to what happens or do you react?

According to an article published by  SoulSalt entitled, How to Take Control of Your Life With 11 Small Shifts the following definitions are:

Reaction- “A reaction happens immediately in the unconscious without thinking. It is survival oriented and often a defense mechanism.”

Response- “When you process your initial emotional reaction before taking action. You observe your instant reaction, then ensure your actions remain in line with your core values.”

Although it is perfectly normal to have emotions, allowing them to take the lead is not always the best way to go. Taking a few moments to process those emotions or to “sit with them” allows you to respond more calmly.

I have a tendency to do all things quickly, including reacting negatively to things that come my way. Rather than taking a moment  to think about what I want to say,  words often come blurting out of my mouth. Most of the time this is not helpful In the long run.

I wish I could say that just knowing the difference between the two would help you to easily navigate life’s circumstances. However, for me responding instead of reacting is not an easy task.

I do believe, though, that awareness is a first step to making changes. I want to be more aware of my emotions, but at the same time give myself the opportunity to respond in a more constructive manor. 

Control

“People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them.” Epictetus

Epictetus, a first century Roman slave, and philosopher practiced a school of thought called Stoicism. One of the tenants of Stoicism has to do with control.

In other words, what do you have control over and what do you not? 

Sadly, many of us, myself included, spend way too much time concerned about what we can’t control. Epictetus believed that we could control our own attitudes though, regardless of the circumstances. 

It’s not always easy, but although you can’t control other people’s views you  do have the ability to control how you respond to them. 

Similarly, thoughts may pop into your brain that you may not like, but again you do have control over what you do with those thoughts. 

Learning to respond to emotions that may overtake you in the moment, can result in a much happier life. Stop focusing on the uncontrollable aspects of life, and put your efforts into what you do have control over. 

Is this always easy? Certainly not, but the discipline of choosing and controlling how you view life is definitely something to work toward.