Every Experience is an Opportunity to Show Up as Who You Say You Are

Ouch. That’s how I felt when I first read that idea. That means every rude person you come across, frustration you experience on your commute, and mistakes made by a coworker are all perfect chances to be the person you want to be. Things outside of you can never disrupt you from acting the way you want to.

A rude person cannot make you be rude back.

The slow walker in front of you cannot make you frustrated.

Lost paperwork cannot make you mad.

If that were true, then every single person in the world who experienced those events would react in the exact same way. But that’s not true. Some people are compassionate towards rude people. Some people are patient or unfazed by slow walkers. Some people react in curiosity instead of judgment when things go missing.

In that fact, it means you always have a choice in how you act and respond to all of life’s moments. Even moreso, you are responsible for how you show up because no one can make you do anything.

If you are rude, frustrated, or mad, you are choosing to be so (and that’s where I go “Ouch”).

If you want to change this pattern, you will need to consistently choose to respond as your future self in every moment.

It will feel awkward at first, but each time you choose to react in alignment with who you want to be, you are strengthening that behavior. It will take a lot of effort in the beginning, but eventually, it will just become who you are.