The Process that Transforms Disturbing Attitudes and Negative Emotions
Notice the Factors that Stimulate the Arising of Disturbing Attitudes and Negative Emotions
Develop the determination to free yourself from disturbing attitudes and to practice the steps to do so. This aspiration is actually is having compassion for yourself and wishing yourself to have lasting spiritual happiness.
Making examples from your life, understand how the following factors stimulate the arising of negative emotions and misconceptions:
1. The predispositions of the disturbing attitudes. Do you have the seed or potential (habits of mental reactions) to generate disturbing attitudes and negative emotions even though they may not be manifest in your mind now? Gently observe your automatic responses—your mental habits.
2. Contact with the object. What objects, people, or situations trigger the arising of disturbing attitudes and negative emotions in you? How can you be more aware when you encounter these people, situations, or objects?
3. Detrimental influences such as wrong friends. How much does peer pressure or what other people think of you influence your behavior? Are you strongly influenced by friends or relatives who act unethically or who distract you from the spiritual path?
4. Verbal stimuli—media, books, TV, Internet, radio, magazines, etc. How much do the media shape what you believe and your self-image? How much time do you spend listening to, watching, or reading the media? How can you have a healthy and reasonable relationship with the media so that they don’t control your life and your thoughts?
5. Habit. What emotional habits or patterns do you have?
6. Inappropriate attention. Do you pay attention to negative aspects of situations? Do you have many biases? Are you quick to jump to conclusions or be judgmental? What steps can you take to remedy these tendencies?
By understanding the factors that create disturbing attitudes, then we can change our lives. Sometimes, we have to hear ourselves say something and then can make corrections for the next time.
Conclusion: Understanding the disadvantages of the disturbing attitudes, determine to abandon them and practice the steps to do so. Think of how you can avoid the factors causing their arising and determine to change your lifestyle accordingly. This is actually having compassion for ourselves and wanting ourselves to have lasting spiritual happiness.