The power to upset

We all evolve with age. Not just physically, scientifically and biologically, but also emotionally. I realized how much I had changed over the course of the past 3-4 years. It has been a journey fraught with experiences of different kinds. All these experiences have helped me evolve. Sometimes, I wish I had been a certain way and not changed, for I was happier then. But then, the change is inevitable. You are bound to change. So does everyone else. The people who realize this fact tend to live happier. 

Another question popped up in my mind. Why do I get upset? Why do people get upset? I’ve been thinking about it for quite some time, until recently, when a possible answer struck me. I read an interview of a famous actress in a newspaper and there she had talked about the power to upset. When I read the interview, the idea struck. The lady had mentioned how only 3-4 people in her life had the power to upset her. I thought about it. It made absolute sense. 

You get upset only by the actions of a few people. Only these people can upset you by their thought, word or deed. Think about it! It’s true. You get upset only because of a person. It means that you’ve given that person an invisible, intangible power - the power to upset you. If he/she uses that power against you, it is likely to upset you. Now the question arises as to how many people have been handed over that power, by you, ofcourse. The smaller the number, the happier you are. There are individuals who may have handed this power to a large no. of people. You’ll find them dissatisfied and upset over a lot of things. On the contrary, people who have given this power to a small no. of people, find themselves getting upset rarely. 

Make no mistake about it. Less people with the power to upset you doesn’t mean less friends or relatives or acquaintances. You can still have them all in good number. But are you going to give them all the power to upset you? Ask yourselves this question and you’ll discover so many things. So be judicious in your choice. Your parents can have that power. Your siblings can and your close friends can. But does your boss need to have that power? Getting scoldings from the boss is almost a certainty. So, are you going to give him/her the power to upset you? This is what I meant by being judicious in your choice.

Think about it. It’ll make sense. It made sense to me. I realized that I had given that power to a lot of people over the past 2 years. But now that I’ve realized that, I’ve consciously reduced the no. of people who had that power. The result is very evident, as I find myself much happier. 

I wish you do the same too. Here’s to a happier you with lesser people with the power to upset you!

Hasta la vista!

PS: Thank you, Anushka Sharma! You gave me the idea for this post.  :-)