I was sitting yesterday in meditation while a wind storm, with gusts up to 60 miles per hour, howled outside my window. There was the unmistakable sound of empty milk cartons and other escaped debris crashing against the side of my house. I tried to focus only on my breathing but I could feel my anxiety rise. I seemed to internalize the storm.
This is so often the case with me. If someone close to me is angry I take on that anger and assume responsibility. If someone I love feels sad or lonely or depressed, I find my own mood waning. I am learning that I need to detach. When I separate myself from the other person I avoid getting emotionally flooded and I can more effectively empathize with them. Paradoxically, it is only when I detach that I am able to truly connect. I become the calm in the eye of the storm.
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