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June 7, 2008
Crying Over Spilled Milk
Have you ever spilled milk? Really. The actual stuff. Milk. Have you ever spilled milk? It could be that some flopped over the edge of the glass you were holding it in. Or it could be that the entire milk jug inexplicably slipped out of your hand as you were carrying the carton across the kitchen to put it back in the refrigerator.
And then it happened.
The milk hit the floor and splashed out either a few small drops of spray across the floor, or, in the case of the milk jug, milk droplets and spray went over the entire bottom half of every kitchen cabinet within 10 feet of the event. Not to mention the bottom half of your trousers, or legs, or all up the dog's behind. Not a pretty sight to be a part of or view occurring, is it? Or was it?
But, here's where everything gets really interesting and will be the focus of this article and hopefully proffer cogent words to help you with your desire to be a better human being in your household. Again, if that's not you, then I'd advise you to stop reading and flip your attention over to another website or the nearby television listings.
Anyway, back on track here with the spilled milk subject...
What I would like to focus on here is not the seeming messiness of the actual spilling of the milk, but instead the spilling of something else which usually occurs just right after the liquid makes its way all across the kitchen floor tiles.
And that spilling would be what happens in you that makes its way outside of you into the kitchen environment, usually within earshot of all those in the area, or sometimes even in other rooms of the house. And even in some rare cases, in the households of the next door neighbors who happen to have their kitchen windows open while they're doing the dishes.
What am I alluding to here? I'm mentioning the literal tirade of words, epithets and profanities that usually come out of most people's mouth immediately succeeding an event such as this.
The milk spills, and the mouth opens, and every single mama's-going-to-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap-kind-of-word comes spewing out of your mouth. Right?
And all of it in reaction to what happened in front of you on the kitchen floor and through this unexpected accident of something being dropped on the floor and leading to a mess that you no doubt will have to handle and scream about, or simply just have to deal with by cleaning it up.
Wow, what a hassle eh?
Life was going oh-so-fine-and-dandy and then this stupid obnoxious milk had to go and spill itself all over the nice clean floor.
And cupboard.
And fridge.
And oven.
And dishwasher front.
And on my newly polished shoes.
And on my nice dress.
Oh, the horror of it all, eh? Life is just so unfair at times, isn't it?
I think you can tell that I'm being facetious here. I'm allowing you to get into the moment that most of us have experienced at some time or another during our life and time here on this planet.
But, seriously, it really is a volatile situation isn't it, when something like this happens, isn't it?
The milk isn't allowed to just spill is it? It has to spill and that spillage has to, it just HAS to, be followed with any number of streams of profane statements and expletives that your worst enemy shouldn't be privy to, right? But, the real question here is...why does that have to happen?
Why does a simple thing like spilling the milk on the floor result in the reaction that most of us have fallen victim to? Why does that have to happen?
Well, here's something to think about.
It doesn't have to happen.
You heard me right.
Having that reaction, even having any reaction of any type, doesn't have to happen at all.
The milk can just spill. And then the event is done. There doesn't have to be anything following it in you. Did you know that? Did you know that that was a possibility?
Did you know that just because the Universe decides to spill your glass of milk all over your nice floor on this morning of this day, that doesn't mean that you have to react to that event?
It can just happen. Just like it just did. In fact, it can just occur as it already has, and you can just witness it occurring. And, maybe even feel it too as the wetness seeps down along your legs and into your shoes. That's all okay though.
Why am I saying this?
Because Life is happening but you don't have to happen like you've always happened. You don't have to be the victim of that milk spilling like you always have been before.
Let me tell you something.
Do you want to know what someone is really like? Do you want to know what a person is really, really like inside? The absolute real person living inside that person, not the person that they are telling you that they are? This is a way to find out who that person really is.
Watch them when they spill milk all over their kitchen floor. Watch them closely. Watch their reaction to that event.
That's the REAL person there reacting to that event. Not the person they just told you they were as they described themselves to you ever so nicely. That's not who they are.
They're the person who is reacting to the milk spillage.
Are they a screaming, angry lunatic blaming everybody and everything under the sun for this horrible occurrence?
Or are they a person who shrugs their shoulders and says, "Oh well. I guess I had better get to work cleaning this up because no one else should or has to."
Which person would you rather be in relationship with when the going of Life gets tough? Would you rather be in the company of the raving lunatic and have them react to something at your side? Or would you rather be at the side of the person who is calmly and simply dealing with the situation at hand?
I don't know about you, but I'd rather be with the person who is able to see the situation for what it is and then act accordingly.
I have a good and long-term friend who told me a few years ago that he had just recently accidentally dropped a glass of juice on the kitchen floor. I guess the glass was sweaty from sitting on the counter for a bit, so it was slippery when he picked it up and he dropped it and juice and glass went flying everywhere in the kitchen.
My friend told me that prior to following the truth teachings of people like Vernon Howard and Guy Finley and Osho, that he used to be the raving lunatic. He told me that he used say 85 '(very profane words about one's mother which I won't print)'. But, this time he just said 'darn it'. And then he cleaned up the mess in front of him.
That's a man that I'm glad to be friends with. He has done the work to change his reaction to the everyday occurrences that Life inevitably brings to us across our Path and then lays down the Glove of Life, so to speak, and asks us to deal with what is in front of us.
So, let me ask you, as I lay the glove in front of you with this article: Are you willing to deal with what is in front of you and do the work to change your reaction, if it needs changing, to one of acceptance?
Or are you going to ignore what is being proffered and continue with your fighting of the many events that Life brings that aren't in accord with your wants? If this is you, I'd suggest that you might want to remember just how many times Life has spilled the glass of milk you were carrying when you were least expecting it.
And, let me ask you: Do you really want to go to your grave reacting as you always have as a raving lunatic? If so, sounds to me like a life bereft of Life. So, good luck with that.
But, if not, I suggest that you do the work to be able to see the event as it happens, and then simply clean up the mess and move on with your life.
The kitchen will be clean.
The floor will be dry.
Your clothes will be changed.
And you'll be on your way to the store to get another jug of milk which just may spill for another milk drinker in the household.
But, if they were so lucky so as to have witnessed this newly changed reaction in you, think of the wonderful seed of opportunity for peace and love you just planted in them and their world by showing them right then and there that another type of response is possible to events like this.
Good for you for doing the work, if indeed you have and do decide to do so. And thank you for making the world a better place for all.
Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'
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Posted by Andre Best at 10:56 PM | Comments (0)