…All Else is Madness

I was recently in one of those Emperor’s New Clothes situations. You know the ones where something is happening and you glance around the room to see everyone else’s reaction. Suddenly you realize that you are the only one who knows that the Emperor has no clothes…everyone else seems crazy mad about an outfit that does not exist! YIKES! It is a strange feeling and has the potential to make you go MAD! When I read this quote from Eckhart Tolle, it gave me both comfort and a new mantra…

When You Complain, You Make Yourself a Victim…
Leave the Situation, Change the Situation,
or Accept it…All Else is Madness.

– Eckhart Tolle

The next time I was complaining, I stopped from going towards the madness by quoting these words out loud. It actually helped. It was a way of reminding myself that I have a choice – there is ALWAYS a choice. As I took a deep breath and realized I couldn’t leave the situation or change it, I had to accept it…because madness was not a viable option. And accepting meant to stop complaining and focus my energy on something that I could control.

In reality we can only control two things – our actions and our attitude. That’s it…

So there is a choice we have to make each and everyday about how we are going to fend off madness. The anger from irresponsible people and their dumb choices. Dismay from the irresponsible things we have done or how the actions of others have impacted our world. The disappointment in people who let us down. Even those unexplainable, random happenings that seem to suck the life out of our day or week. We can leave, change it or accept it…otherwise we are choosing madness. Which means we are willingly giving someone else power over our life simply by choosing not to choose…which is madness.

Leave, change it, or accept it…only three choices in order to keep your sanity. Let me encourage you to quote these words when you find your blood boiling and you have to choose. Let me encourage you to choose to control your two things – your actions and your attitude – and let the rest be. Run away from the madness and move on to live another day. You’re not crazy, the Emperor really doesn’t have on any clothes, to think all else is madness…