One of the newer things that I’ve learned on my transition to adult-land is that I have to choose what I focus on. We won’t like everything that happens to us in life. On top of that, many of those things we won’t be able to change, or at least we shouldn’t (although it is hard to recognize that sometimes). Why shouldn’t we try to change these things or circumstances? Because by overcoming them we’ll become better people.

People will do things that annoy us, but often not TO annoy us (not that it matters too much, I think, for the purpose of this idea). We can’t change people, and we shouldn’t.

From experience I’ve learned (not as many times, nor as fast as I probably should) that this helps: don’t focus on the things that people do that annoy you. I know, it’s not easy. In fact, it’s hard. It’s hard as FUDGE (trying to keep this PG). If this is easy to you, then please teach me :)

Your mind is your most prized possession and mental peace isn’t always easy to have and maintain. By focusing on the right things you can make mental peace a more attainable goal.

Focus means being able to say no. Saying no to focusing on things that don’t bring us mental peace. I feel this can give us perspective to later realize that maybe whatever was annoying us initialy might have been kind of dumb and irrelevant.

I write this not because I’m good at it, but because I’ve failed so many times. I think I’m starting to get it right on some things in my life, though. I’ve failed so many times and for an embarrassing amount of years that I know how not being able to NOT focus on the bad things takes a toll, it puts you on edge, it can make you angry and sour.

I sometimes feel like I’m annoyed by so many things, and I think it’s a blessing when people can be so tolerant. So I’m working on it.

Anyway, what are your thoughts on this? Are you reading this and thinking to yourself “welcome to being a functional human being buddy”?

The comic for this thought is here.

-Marcos

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