We feel a variety of feelings and emotions throughout the day. It is not outside forces that make us feel something, it is what we tell ourselves that create our feelings. Outside things, situations or people are external are not inherently stressful—it’s your thoughts that are stressing you out.
Most of us want to place blame and responsibility on external objects because it’s easy to do and seemingly the most intuitive thing to assume. But the truth remains that all conflicts start internally, in our minds. Our perceptions triggers the thoughts and emotions such as anger, frustration, fear, jealousy etc. which cause stress and anxiety. When we flee from reality—a deadline, an urgent email—we are doing nothing but harming ourselves and undermining our self-discipline.
The next time you run into an obstacle and feel resistance, don’t look at what’s around you. Instead, look within.