February 12, 2018

Hair Triggers in the Home and in Life

"Hair Trigger: A firearm set for release at the slightest pressure"

We don't own guns, and I'm about as opposed to firearm use as anyone could be. And yet lately in our home, I've been using "hair trigger" to describe the fast and dramatic reactions my husband, my daughter, and I have been demonstrating to one another.

At the slightest raise of voice or subtle demand from another, we react swiftly and hotly. For fear that this become routine in our house, we agreed to say "hair trigger" as code for stopping the cascade of reaction.  

While we haven't entirely shifted our behavior, each of us is making more effort to breathe and think before we ask for something from someone in the house, and to pause before reacting. And announcing "HAIR TRIGGER" whenever someone starts to lose it also brings some comic relief to the scene.

Do you experience the hair trigger response in your world? 

In many ways, reaction permeates our society. On social media, when someone posts a statement, whether intended to upset or not, the reactions through comments and re-posts charge with a vengeance. Emotions running hot, on the roads, at public meetings, and in grocery store aisles. Individuals reacting, without going within first, without considering intention, without anticipating consequences and ripple effects. 

I am certainly guilty of presuming the worst and reacting defensively - whether online, or aggressively strategizing which check-out line is faster at our Target, or annihilating my husband for not wiping down a kitchen counter.

We know intellectually and physiologically that emotions are signals. And it's the next layer of knowing that takes a bit more effort, at least for me. Going deeper to shift the script and understand the purpose of the emotion and the truth of a situation clearly. Centering, breathing, and determining whether and how to respond to various stimuli. 

I offer an affirmation for all of us who flirt with the hair trigger response:


Thank you, emotions, for reminding me of my passion.
Thank you, higher mind, for being a check and balance to my emotional responses.
Thank you inner wisdom, for reminding me to pause before reacting.
Thank you, body, for reminding me that I am a grounded being, 
connected with all living things.
I take time to assess my situation, and
I am innately equipped to respond from a position of compassionate power.
I know what I need, and I mean what I say.
Each interaction is an opportunity to sow greater harmony.

Per usual, I'm always eager to hear your thoughts on my blog shares and selfishly appreciate your wisdom about the self-awareness and coping techniques you use in your homes. So please comment or PM me your thoughts~

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