Shifting Your Perspective: Turning Annoyance into Appreciation

We always have a choice in how we respond to the myriad of things that happen in our lives. Our mindfulness practice can help teach us how!

Here’s a story from a recent meditation group at a senior residential community that illustrates this well: During the meditation, there was ongoing construction beneath the windows of the room where we were gathered. As I led the meditation, I drew people’s attention to our listening, remarking that we would hear many sounds, both inside and outside the room, and we could notice how we responded or reacted to the various sounds. I invited people to sit comfortably in their chairs and just listen with curiosity and openness, as if they were experiencing a new piece of music.

At the end of the practice, one woman commented, “The loud backup beeping on the truck really annoyed me at first. Then I remembered what you said, and it became percussion in the symphony of life.”

What a wonderful way to shift the perceptual frame, and “hear” the sound in a new way. It was a lovely lesson for us all.

Coming from the expansive place of non-judgment, we can shift our habitual reactions. What happens when you choose to respond differently to something which you usually find annoying?

To what one breath can do,

Amy Bloom Connolly, Founder
410.978.3380
amy@centerformindfulawareness.org