Upset

Here’s another one of the secrets of life: when we are upset, it is not caused by the behavior of another (though we often attribute it to that)  – we have control over the upset. The good news is that we’re in control of our emotions and our reactions and we can examine the root of the upset.

I probably don’t need to define notion of an “upset” – we know instinctively when we are upset or experiencing “an upset.” But I’ll do it anyway.  An upset is present anytime we recognize that we are unhappy with some occurrence and are reacting negatively to this event.

All upsets are traceable to one of three causes:

1.      An unmet expectation
2.      A thwarted intention
3.      An undelivered communication

How do I know? Try it out! Not like it’s true, but as a vehicle for understanding your reaction to events that happen in the world. Knowing the source of the upset has an interesting effect. It doesn’t remove the upset, but once you realize the source, it’s much more manageable. Again, just try it and see.

(By the way, I got this particular insight in a personal development course I took from Landmark Education.)