Instead of reacting to events that upset us, we can make the conscious decision to choose to withhold judgment on situations and wait for more to be revealed. Assuming our perspective (that lousy cab driver!!) is the only correct one can lead us down a faulty and stressful path, alienate us from others, and give us a very skewed perspective. Push yourself beyond that first reactive thought. I’ve heard it said that any opinion made without having considered all the facts and all the different points of view is ill-informed. If we react out of pure emotion we increase our stress levels and lend energy to the illusionary belief that we are entitled to have things the way we want them. But if we can take a breath, gather information, think and feel, and then make a choice as to how to respond, we would significantly reduce our stress and improve health.
I try to be curious about things rather than judge them. Judgement does not lead to resolution; it is based on anger and fear. Curiosity invites information, understanding, observation, discovery, and can lead us down some interesting paths. Albert Einstein once described himself as having “no special talent. I am only passionately curious”. What would we see, what would we do, if we were more curious?