BIG reactions from small happenings—both positive and negative—are events worth exploring (both in yourself and others).
BIG positive reactions (from small happenings) is a sign of emotional maturity—those who have done inner work.
- Finding awe in the mundane
- Expressing deep gratitude for small efforts
- Sitting joyfully for no specific reason at all
BIG negative reactions (from small happenings) is a sign of emotional immaturity—those who are avoiding inner work.
- Having a complete meltdown over a petty comment
- Cultivating hate/resentment over silly, honest mistakes
- Erupting in anger over a trivial gesture
If you find yourself having a disproportionately large reaction to something small… use it as an opportunity to explore your inner workings. Challenge yourself to set the huge reaction aside (if negative) and channel your inner curiosity instead.
Remember: big reactions don’t just come from nowhere.
They must stem from some deeper rooted source. The huge reactions, in many cases, are just distractions and coverups for what’s trying to remain unseen and in the background. But, the longer you ignore it (and allow the distractions to distract you), the worse it’ll get.
Because things don’t get better until you get better, eh?
Questions worth asking yourself when a disproportionate reaction arises:
- Where is this reaction really coming from (i.e. is this anger or grief)?
- What emotion/experience/idea is really underneath this big reaction (i.e. is this intense present-moment gratitude coming from a near-death experience)?
- Why is this reaction being triggered now, at this time, in this way (i.e. what can I learn from this instance that will help me better address future, similar instances)?