Oh there have been times…

Times when my skin would crawl.  I was so incredibly uncomfortable in a situation I just wanted to hide…escape….leave.

Irrationally angry or upset and confused about why at the same time.

***

Have you ever noticed that we can be easily upset by someone else’s perspective?

Or worse, their perception of us?

Confronted with a comment, suggestion or criticism, we can often feel anxious, angry or confused.

These are emotional triggers.

***

Listen, it’s not your business what anyone else thinks about you.  Those are their thoughts, not yours.

But it becomes your business when you’re triggered.

When you experience a strong emotional response to someone else’s feelings or thoughts, this is indicative of feelings and emotions you hold regarding yourself.    This trigger indicates that their perspective resonates with you on some level.

***

The gift of a trigger is that it can illuminate the beliefs we are holding onto.

Beliefs that don’t serve us.

Beliefs that hold us back.

Beliefs that keep us playing small.

***

The first shift that’s required is awareness.

Not coping or indulging in behaviours that numb our emotions, but attending to the emotions that are REALLY happening.

The trigger is your gift which facilitates awareness.

So, instead of avoiding the trigger or judging yourself for being triggered, take a moment and recognize that this is a gift.  A gift that’s designed to show you an area where you are still confined.

Look beneath the surface and challenge that belief.

Afterall, the only opinion that matters, is your own.  But seeing what we can’t see, becoming aware of what we truly believe… well, that’s the journey.

xo