I had a few major realizations while listening to this Sadhguru video on my way home from work today. The first one had to do with the frustration and even anger that I frequently feel during rush hour. In addition to taking to heart Sadhguru’s points about how getting angry harms me while also being a poor way to get things done, I started thinking about why I feel so much hostility in heavy traffic. Part of it has to do with other drivers who don’t let me merge or try to bully me around on the road, but another element is the feeling of wanting to be somewhere other than where I am instead of focusing on the present moment. I don’t know why I feel the need to rush and get where I’m going as quickly as possible; maybe I’m unintentionally mirroring the actions those around me who adopt that mindset when they drive. Whatever the reason, there’s no need for me to rush as I’ll get where I’m going when I get there. There may be difficulties along the way, such as some drivers not letting me merge exactly when I want to, and so what? That won’t stop me from reaching my destination; all it will do is make the journey less pleasant. This higher mindset helped me avoid anger and frustration on my drive without feeling like I was suppressing anything. I felt a deep sense of peace and everything seemed still and quiet around me, which was wonderful.
The second realization concerned my understanding of other people. I’ve learned a lot about myself since I started my self-improvement journey. I’m regularly getting major insights about why I act the way I do and what I can do to change those actions if I like. It seems like the more I learn, the more I understand how little I know about myself. So if I’m still getting to know myself after a few years of deep study and many more years of regular living, how can I expect to fully understand people I’ve only recently met or have seen briefly without ever interacting with them? I’m capable of giving myself great compassion and empathy when I know the underlying reasons for my behavior, so why not extend those same gestures to other people whom I don’t know nearly as well as myself?
Although I only became consciously aware of these realizations today, I think they’ve been in my subconscious for a while now. I’ve noticed that I’m more inclined to show kindness to other drivers in a number of ways. Additionally, I feel like I’m focusing more on listening to other people and holding space for them without trying to think of a response while they speak or rush in with potential solutions to their problems. The many spiritual videos I’ve watched lately from Sadhguru and other inspirational people have probably made it easier for me to get along with others. At the very least, they’ve been incredibly enlightening and enjoyable to watch. I hope this makes sense and proves valuable to you in some way, and I will see you in the next post.