We have all heard the quote by Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” This is a beautiful call to action for people to stop complaining about things. We are instead challenged to take action to create the change we desire. But if we were to update the quote, in my world, it would say, “Be the love you want to see in the world.”
Embodying Love
When we embody love, we see everyone as a light in this world. We see our similarities rather than our differences. With love in our heart, we see people in their wholeness rather than someone needing to be fixed.
We have all had challenges in our lives, times when we were triggered emotionally by the behavior of others. This is part of the human condition, yet most of us were not taught how to minimize our emotional triggers. I learned to shift my perspectives and deactivate emotional triggers through my life journey.
Emotional Triggers
When I feel triggered by your behavior, I see you as a beautiful soul experiencing life as a human being, rather than as someone causing me pain. Because I know that to be whole, I must accept radical responsibility for myself in every interaction. If your behavior triggers me, I have internally stored energy that is reactive to what you are doing. It is not your fault that I have that energy; it belongs to me, and I must take responsibility for it.
Taking responsibility for our reactive behavior takes us out of victim energy. Taking responsibility allows us the freedom to create change in our world. When I take radical responsibility for my reactions, I stop blaming you for what I experience. I look inside myself, finding the energy of reaction and using the tools I teach to dissipate the energy. In this way, I minimize my emotional reactivity.
Just Imagine!
Can you imagine a world where people took radical responsibility for themselves? A world where people quit pointing their fingers at others in blame? Would that world be more tolerant of the behaviors of others? Would that world be a better expression of acceptance and love?
When we replace our emotional triggers with radical responsibility, we are opting to be the love we want to see in the world. If life is a journey, isn’t this road a bit brighter for us all?
