Tolerate:
to
put up with, accept, or take on, especially
things we don't like.
Tolerations
are a part of life that we have come to accept
as normal. And to
a great degree, they are. We sometimes
allow other people to drag us down.
We put up with unpleasant situations
and behavior.
Unmet needs, crossed boundaries, unfinished
business, frustrations, problems and even our
own behavior are just some of the things we
tolerate on a day to day basis.
Have
you ever met someone who got fed up and decided
to stop tolerating? Maybe
that someone was you. There
normally comes a time when we wake up and say,
"Hey, I want a better quality of life." That's
when we decide that our friend's constant tardiness
is no longer acceptable. Or maybe
living with debt is no longer an option, and
you get serious about removing this irritation.
But
we don't have to wait until the tolerations
mount and cause us to explode.
We can improve our life by making a conscious
decision to look at what we might be tolerating
in life. Peeling
wallpaper, a messy office, an annoying co-worker,
or PMS symptoms, by themselves, may be small
and seemingly manageable. However,
it's the accumulation of multiple irritations
that affect our mood and bring us down.
Get
out a piece of paper, and ask yourself, "What
am I tolerating in my life?"
Try to list 20-30 items that you aren't
especially happy with. The tolerations
can be something as minor as spider webs in
the basement or as major as sibling rivalry
that constantly drains your energy. By listing
your tolerations, you bring them to the forefront
of your soul. This awareness
is the first step toward handling the tolerations.
Typically,
there are two types of tolerations. There
are tolerations that we have some degree of
control over, and there are those tolerations
that we have very little control over. Put a
star by the tolerations on your list that you
have the ability to eliminate. You'll
probably find that you have a choice about most
of the tolerations on your list, but sometimes
we get stuck in a pattern of thinking we don't
have choices.
Start
eliminating the tolerations that are easy to
knock out. Make those
phone calls you've been putting off. File the
paperwork that is cluttering up your desk. Ask for
help cleaning up toys around the house. Get rid
of the ugly things in your home that create
an eyesore for you. The more
annoyances you get rid of, the more energy you
will have.
With this renewed energy, it will be
easier to deal with the normal frustrations
that come from being a part of this journey
called "life".
