Conversation – 15

Things that Annoy Us

There will always be factors and people that we cannot control; how we respond can determine the quality of our lives.
There are many stories of spiritual masters embracing the presence of an annoying student in their community. There is even one story that documents a teacher paying an irritating person to live among his students. From an everyday perspective, this is difficult to comprehend. We generally work hard to avoid people and things that we find annoying so they don’t bother us.

From a deeper spiritual perspective, however, irritation can be an important teacher and indicator that we are making progress on our path. Being able to remain centered and awake even when we feel uncomfortable is much more impressive than doing so in an environment where everything is to our liking. No matter how good we are at controlling our circumstances, there will always be factors and people that we cannot control. How we respond to these experiences to a great degree determines the quality of our lives. The goal of spiritual development is not to learn to control our environment–which is more of an ego-driven desire. And while having some measure of control over our external reality is important, it is when we are confronted with a person or situation that irritates us and we can choose not to react that we know have made progress spiritually. It is when we have mastered our internal reality that we will have become the masters of our lives.

The more we try to eliminate annoyances, instead of learning to handle them gracefully, the further we get from developing the qualities that come with spiritual growth, such as patience, tolerance, and acceptance. It is often in the presence of people and experiences we find annoying that we have an opportunity to develop these qualities. Fortunately for most of us, our lives offer an abundance of opportunities to practice and cultivate these traits.

@mcpoopoo,

Some people here do not have power. I am lucky. I am having a warm cup of tea.
It is 23 degrees right now. I am warm.

Hugs and kisses to you and enjoy your day.

My look today even if it is cold.

Cherie,

Sleep well. Been to many a fair with my kids. I know you are tired and the food is always
good at the Fair.

You will need this. I am glad you like the Gallery. I love doing it. Well we are in the
deep freeze all schools and other business are closed. Cali Dreaming. I love the
Queen Scheherazade Pageant!

Hi Loaf,
….all the beauty of life seems to be like a bell that is ringing for me….and from the way that I feel when that bell starts to peAL I could swear I was falling swear I was falling it’s almost like being in love. Thank you very much! Lol! 🙂

Hi Sheba,
The temp will be going down soon. You stay cozy and warm in your beautiful Love Nest!. Put another log on the fire! 🙂

Sheba,
That had to be an exciting feeling. Music is so powerful! You had so many experiences in your life. That feeling has to be the best. My Dad always had a nice voice. I remember him singing all the time! It’s a joy! Sing your beautiful songs today and enjoy! 🙂

Sheba … Thanks for the Breezy Cali Snack. Love the Make up, Fashion, and Colleen Gallery. So We played Hooky ….. We went to the Riverside Date Festival. The Kids LOVE the “Fair”. It’s just a cheesy community fair but the kids have a blast, Hubby & Cherie LOVE the FOOD!! They rode All the rides, saw the Camel & Ostrich races, and of course the Monster Trucks, saw the Wild Big Cats and the 4H Club Animals. After All the food, running around, pony rides, carnival prizes, we Ended the day with watching the Queen Scheherazade Pageant! We’re Exhausted Night-Nite Sheba♥ .. Night ALL!

Anyone can drop in for a cup of coffee or tea. Have a cup and relax.

Peace Out Peeps! Wind chill is 6. This is Cherie’s kids getting pancakes. LOL!
Loaf kids too.

Angel I am thinking of you Meme and Tamrick too. Bassettbabe I hope you are
feeling better.

Everyone stay warm.

@taci,

Enjoy and have a great day. Hope you enjoyed your hiking. I need to do my long walks
but not on ice. Yikes.