Be it your child, your partner, your family, your friend, your colleague or someone on social media, someone is going to get on our nerves sooner or later. We’re human beings, we’re going to get triggered by someone at some point.
I often find it difficult at the moment to abstract myself from feeling this annoyance. However, that evening or the day after, when I’ve ranted a bit, I start thinking… which part of me was triggered and why?
Any kind of emotion that is triggered is saying something about us. It can be that the person is reminding ourselves of a part that we dislike and that we actively suppress so when we see it in others, it reminds us.
Let’s take an example, let’s say you know someone that is comfortable taking space, i.e. doing what they want when they want. I might get triggered because I think they aren’t considerate of other people’s feelings and get annoyed but the real reason could be that I am getting annoyed because I want to take more space myself and not just pander around other people.
It’s good to recognize what the underlying reality is because then everything that triggers you shows up as a gift. Identify the emotion, feel it and allow your body to process it and see what message it is trying to send you.
I’m always learning and the good news is, there are always learning opportunities ☺
When were you last triggered?