Triggers - the good and bad

I read a book a while ago - Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts by Marshall Goldsmith - (highly recommend it) and a lot of the messages really stuck with me. One of them was this quote here. Ultimately, a trigger isn't necessarily bad, it's how we interpret it to ourselves. He gives the great analogy of a bag packer in the supermarket missing out an item that we'd paid for (for those who live in countries where that's a thing). We get home and realise it's missing and our immediate reaction is most likely to curse and get pissed off.

There will always be things in life that get “in the way" (it's in parenthesis because life filled with unknowns is just life). Goldsmith calls these discouraging and counterproductive triggers and says to acknowledge them and change how we react to them.

So next time someone cuts you up on the road or pushes in-front of you in the queue, stop the impulse to react negatively. Be aware that the trigger is one of YOUR discouraging triggers (this won't be the case for everyone) and make the active choice to react differently. Taking care of your mental health has a direct connection to your physical health. Be aware. Be kind to it.