Martin Luther King Jr Day

Today we celebrate the life and message of Martin Luther King Jr.

For many people, it’s a day off, part of a rare three day weekend. For other’s it’s just another Monday.

With all the craziness in the world right now, Dr King’s message seems more relevant than ever, yet it seems to be lost on many as simply something to post on social media.

There are memes and messages all over Facebook and Instagram and other social channels telling us to remember, and reminding us of the day.

And that’s nice.

But is it helpful.

I suspect Dr King’s message is more valuable when turned into action (not just the action of posting a meme on Facebook).

I believe we could better serve Dr King’s memory, and our current situation far better by using today to reflect.

Reflect on ourselves, reflect on our behavior, reflect on our actions and our beliefs.

We can’t do anything about the world around us, the protests, the killing, the anger, the hate.

But we can do something about ourselves.

We can take stock of our thoughts, our actions, our beliefs.

Are we who we want to be? Are we who we need to be?

Can we do better? Can we do more?

Our culture is quick to point fingers outward, to blame the other guy, to cast aspersions.

But today is as good time as any to look inward., to look in the mirror.

Do we like what we see?

Are we living the best life we know how?

It’s fine to honor Dr King by posting memes on social media, but the greater good, and Dr King’s memory would be better served if we took stock of ourselves and found ways to be better.

Triggers

It’s common to hear someone say “you made me mad” or “he did something that made me angry”.

It’s true, people do things that suck, and we get angry (or frustrated or upset or whatever). It happens. I get it.

But I think claiming someone (or something) “triggered us” to anger is to give away too much of our power.

Once we are triggered, and get angry, the other person or situation essentially owns us. They are in control. They win.

Why would we allow someone else to control us, or how we feel or act.

As hard as it is, we have the power to control our response. Of course we cannot control the feelings that come to us, we are perfectly capable of making good choices about what to do with those feelings.

Someone said something that triggers you (pisses you off). You get angry and fire back. Understandable, but not ideal.

We can make a different choice. If we allow ourselves to be triggered, we are complicit in the offense we take.

Our anger, our temper is ours. We can choose to manifest it or suppress it.

Saying that someone makes us lose our temper is garbage. So is saying we have the right or entitlement to lose our temper simply because someone triggered us.

We are better than that. We can exercise more control over ourselves than that.

It is a choice. How will you chose?