Observing the Patterns of the Mind to Prevent Reactivity

 Complaining and reactivity are favorite mind patterns through which the ego strengthens itself. For many people, a large part of their mental-emotional activity consists of complaining and reacting against this or that. ...Can you observe those patterns within yourself and recognize the complaining  voice in your head for what it is? 

Eckhart Tolle from Stillness Speaks

Some might view my entry yesterday as  a nit-picking self indulgent rampage.  There is likely  some truth to that but my true intention upon writing it was to share  what I am learning as I look into what Patanjali referred to as "mental modifications" .  True learning and the initial steps toward freedom occurs, I believe, when we look into our minds to see what is actually going on in there...to observe if we are reacting or responding to life circumstance...so we can make our way beyond habitual tendencies. 

The experience and "story" I shared yesterday was one small example of how "my" mind works in reaction/response to trivial external events. I am sure that others have had similar circumstances and similar reactions to such circumstances.  These mental modifications and habitual mind patterns that lead toward reaction are universal, aren't they? Why not open them up, expose them, so we can all learn from them? That is my view of it anyway. 

Sure I had some  residue of resentment and frustration over this trivial little incident lingering within me when I wrote yesterday.  It may have come out onto the page.  If so, it is what it is.  Most of that resentment and frustration, however,  I had worked through off the page and that is is why I felt it was worthy of sharing.  Of course, I did not work through it perfectly...I have far from mastered the ability to respond  but I am taking awkward steps toward that learning challenge. My goal was to show how we can avoid a lot of reactivity and its consequences once we become aware of our own mental modifications and go beneath them to the peaceful space of clarity within us.  We can emerge from there in response mode rather than reactive mode. 

But we have to be willing to look inside. Since we basically have the same mind habits as human beings...I am hoping my mind is a mirror for your mind, offering you some insight into your own tendencies. My learning can be your learning, maybe? I believe if we all learn to respond to life rather than react, the world would be a much better  place. 

All is well.