Spiritual-Religious
Exercise: Frustration.
We all get frustrated in
our day-to-day lives.
Why? I think it might be because
we all have expectations on how things ought to happen, but reality is not
affected by our wishes. Consequently, we get frustrated.
This week, as a
spiritual-religious exercise, I want you to practice getting frustrated. Just
to practice.
(You don’t have to.)
Let’s face it, you are
going to get frustrated anyway; so here is a chance for you to learn about
yourself in a safe environment.
What you will learn in
this upcoming exercise is going to be personal to you. You will learn answers
to the question, “what do I really do
when I get frustrated?” (A lot of us think we know, but frustration isn’t a
thinking, it’s a feeling.)
Here’s what I’ve learned about
when I get frustrated:
- I chastise
myself for not being clever enough to think myself through whatever problem I’m
having.
I get excited
fantasizing of having solved the problem and feeling accomplished in having
done so.
I spend time trying
and re-trying solutions that I already know won’t work and then chastise myself
for rehashing instead of solving the problem.
I tend to hold
my breath a little bit and don’t notice it until I make an audible, forceful
exhale.
Now it’s your turn.
Try to figure out the
following:
What
is the next number in the following series:
·1
·11
·21
·1211
·111221
·___________
Note your reaction until
you either figure it out or give up on it. I advise that when you do either
(figure it out or stop trying), you spend a few moments writing a recollection
of your experience.
Please notice your
reaction to both the problem and to this entire exercise of learning from your
reaction.
Spiritual-religious advise
for the week: try to learn to be comfortable with the discomfort of being
frustrated.
With love,
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Rabbi Brian
For those of you still wondering
about the answer? The solution will be revealed in the next issue of The 77% Weekly.
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