Mindful Doodles #198
Mind if he whistles? When someone makes noise, do you ask him to keep quiet? Or do you suffer in silence? The artist in the picture has to listen to whistling in the background, because another person in the same art room, has a habit of whistling.
If you can’t block them, join them?
Meditate on empathy:
Whenever we encounter something that we dislike, we tend to feel hatred and negative feelings. What if we stand in the shoes of the other person? What is that person feeling that makes her do this? Maybe that person is anxious/ nervous/ unfocused? Maybe they make sounds and noise to help them cope with their feelings? Can I help by being kind? Maybe I can smile at that person when they look my way? If I recognize that tune, I can mentally keep step with it and it won’t be so irritating to me. I can try to make myself less sensitive to his whistling. I can think kind thoughts and neutralize my negative feelings. I can even try to pray for that person. The feeling of empathy is like a wave that splashes over me, washing away my irritation.