This entry was posted on May 20, 2014
“Once there was a disciple of a Greek philosopher who was commanded by his master for three years to give money to everyone who insulted him. When th
is period of trial was over the Master said to him: now you can go to Athens and learn Wisdom. When the disciple was entering Athens he met a certain wise man who sat at the gate insulting everybody who came and went. He also insulted the disciple, who burst out laughing. Why do you laugh when I insult you? said the wise man. Because, said the disciple, for three years I have been paying for this kind of thing and now you give it to me for nothing. Enter the city, said the wise man, it is all yours…” The Art of Happiness, HH Dalai Lama & Howard C Cutler p.143
This little story beautifully sums up something I have explained to a few of my clients recently, a small change in perspective can be a huge life change. Once we own our inner reactions we have gained one of life’s greatest assets.
It’s easier to learn to control our outer reactions, we mostly learn to control our behaviour as children and then continue to refine how convincing we are at behaving appropriately as adults. But changing our inner reactions is much harder because we can’t control away our emotions, that’s when we tend to end up stifling them or bottling them up.
A perspective change however can help change your inner reactions, as the little story above so brilliantly shows.
What inner reactions have you managed to change with a shift in perspective? Share your wisdom & aid in our growth,xx