You adjust the thermostat in your home. You wouldn't allow strangers off the street to walk into your home and adjust it for you. Nor would you allow your friends to walk right in and turn it all the way up or down.
So why focus on the thoughts of others?
Why change behaviors based on what others think?
This question was posed on the Aligned is the New Hustle podcast and stopped me in my tracks (yes, I listen and sometimes re-listen to podcasts I like). After the loss of my father I found myself in the anger stage of grief for much longer than I cared to be. Being triggered to anger at the slightest inconvenience I allowed myself to live in this space a little too comfortably, but this was simply letting others adjust my thermostat.
With our language, we can chose to be offended by what someone says or we can pause and try to understand why they chose those words. Where can we find the connection or understanding?
It’s not about call out culture. We shouldn’t be waiting for someone to offend and wrong us. Or assassinate someone for their words. Forgive first. Try to understand second.
What I love about this message is it also takes your power back. When I allow myself to be offended by another’s words to me, I give them the power to my happiness.
I’m not saying this lesson is easy, but try for the next 24 hours to notice where you chose to allow words too much power, or mistake the intent behind the spoken words to be clouded by the focus on the language.
In yoga we based our intention for class on this thermostat visual. Yoga is a beautiful way to see how much we respond to outside stimuli. During yoga flow we may say to ourselves this is how this yoga "should be done" because the instructor "said so" and focused instead on our own internal thermostat.