Sometimes, I notice that I am responding to someone or something with more energy than the person or situation warrants. For me, it is important to look at whether or not there are other contributing factors to my response, and to attempt to make amends where possible.
For this Peace Walker, one of the things that causes me to react strongly is over stimulation of one or more of my senses. What I’ve noticed since I’ve been on the ranch is, there is almost always some sort of sound. It can be anything from water running, to dogs barking, to talking, to the sound of the electric gate keypad ringing in the kitchen, to cell phones ringing pinging and dinging, or even the hum of the washer/dryer. For me, the noise feels stressful, and I sometimes feel as if I want to be in complete silence for a month.
What is important about noticing the sense(s) that are being taxed is that I can then ask myself what will help ease the energy that is causing me to respond in a reactive way.
My intention today was quiet response. The reason for this intention was to remind myself that just because there is a lot of noise, doesn’t mean I need to respond in kind. In fact, if I respond to noise with more noise, my body tenses up and I feel stiff and uncomfortable. However, if I respond to noise with quiet, I find that the quiet comes into whatever I’m doing.
And so it is for me. When I experience sensory overload, I look within to see how I need to be to respond with grace. And when I nurture my senses, I am at Peace.