Triggers

For your consideration….

We often think about psychological and emotional triggers as negative. Certainly in school we pay attention to “triggers” that set off behaviors. Our message today tells us that we all have triggers that we have developed. Some trigger love, joy, HOPE. Some energize us and spur us to action linking us to a pattern of behavior. Some trigger sadness, anger, despair, doubt etc.

When my Uncle Harold was a principal, students requested that they be able to wear jeans to school. He said, “No, lazy dress, triggers a lazy mind.” That seems silly today but was it. In that day and age, jeans were play clothes. Today, jeans are the normal apparel for school. Wearing PJ’s to school would equate to the jeans in my Uncle Harold’s school days.

Think about when you get home from work. What do you do? Why? I come in and immediately take off my bra and change my clothes. When I do this, I am “off.” I am not going out again. My work day is done. My change of clothes is a trigger for my to begin to relax and slow down. I remember when my mother quite smoking. She said talking on the phone was hard because when she did smoke, she grabbed her cigarettes before she picked up the phone. She had developed a trigger….phone = smoke break.

Our message today is not about judgment. It is about awareness. If we want to change a behavior or add a behavior, we need to be aware of our triggers. Our knowledge and awareness is a gift. It is a key for us to improve our lives.

That is the HOPE. And so it is.

Bit by bit, piece by piece, HOPE by HOPE action steps anyone can take….

-Affirm…“I am loved.”

-Meditate/pray…ask…”What is my next step for my highest good and the highest good of all?”

-Drink lots of water.

-Get outdoors and take in at least 10 deep breaths.

-Note our triggers.

What made me smile yesterday….

-Breakfast with my neighbor.

-Got my walk in.

-A movie with Bob and Bruce.

-Reciprocal reading with Sandy.

-A new book.

Love, Blessings and gratitude,

Rev. Chris