Meditation teaches us to stay present with unpleasant emotions while our instincts compel us to run, push away, or overeat.
Today, I listened to a complaint about an issue that I was not responsible for but took ownership of. As I listened, I could feel the other person’s disappointment and aggravation. It was justified. At the same time, I felt my disbelief and embarrassment. How to make amends? But I also felt the pull to protect the people involved and defend the logic of the system. Instead, I sat, breathed and listened. Allowing the feelings to diffuse into the air that I breathed. Then I apologized.
Between the attention to feelings and the apology came the response that could make amends. A solution that was simple yet satisfying to all involved. How grateful I am for the space that was created by the sitting. The space I create every morning when I sit with whatever is arising.