If you aren't the one raging, surely you've encountered similar outbursts of anger, impatience, and hostility. Earlier this week, a 28-year-old man was arrested after a road rage incident in which police say he pointed a loaded shotgun at a family. Or maybe you heard about the guy who stabbed another man with a screwdriver after arguing over a parking spot.
Have you not found yourself wanting to cuss the slow Starbucks barista, or pound your fist when the internet is down, or glare at the woman in yoga class who moans during every single pose? Why are we so impatient, angry, and hostile? With the grind of the economy and the pressure to stay afloat, not to mention the hot summer sun, it’s safe to say most of us have a shorter fuse these days. As goes the Zen proverb, “Avoid one moment of anger, and you will avoid 100 days of sorrow."
Following are 3 tips to cool down before you lash out:
1. Honor the Sacred
Author Abraham Heschel talks about how most of us live in the realm of space. We worship things, property, and technology that enable us to fill and conquer our surroundings. I would argue that at the expense of becoming more connected with the space around us, we're becoming less and less connected with the space within us. Heschel describes the importance of "the sacred"…whether it be a place or a day or a time…where technology is off limits and we can look within. The word "sacred" need not be intimidating. I share in my book how chocolate or a little Hendrix or a nice Cabernet can be as a sacred as a scripture.
2. Don't Lose Your Religion
With the harried state of the world, less and less Americans are turning to the sacred. Historically, the percentage of Americans who said they had no religious affiliation has been very small -- hovering between 5 percent and 10 percent. However, Harvard University Professor Robert Putnam says that percentage has now skyrocketed to between 30 percent and 40 percent among younger Americans. Without a place or tradition by which to empty the mind and soothe the soul, the world feels like a confining space where something as simple as a moan in yoga class might as well be a meteor hurtling toward impact.
3. Take a Trip to the Diamond
As summer winds down, consider the great American pastime and head to your local baseball park. Baseball is one of the few things in our culture not based on a time clock. There’s something very Zen about going to a baseball game. Even if you don’t care about the sport, it’s a great way to blow off steam, peel away from the velocity of modern life, and soak in the fading summer sun.
by David Romanelli (www.yeahdave.com)
I invite you to check out my book, Yeah Dave's Guide to Livin' the Moment: Getting to Ecstasy through Wine, Chocolate, and your Ipod Playlist
