thwarted in my wishes, that makes me mad much
more than the cat food itself. So, I discover, it's not
really the cat food by itself that is the source of my
anger. It's that I'm not feeling listened to and
respected. Very different from the cat food. Aha!
Then I remember that my wife and kids see this
whole thing very differently. They think I am making a
big deal out of nothing, and that while they will try to
respect my wishes when it feels reasonable to them,
at other times it doesn't and they just do it anyway,
maybe even without thinking about me at all.
So I've stopped taking it personally. When I really
don't want cat food in the sink, I roll up my sleeves
and I clean the dishes in that moment. Otherwise, I
just leave them there and go away. We no longer
have fights about it. In fact, I find myself smiling now
when I do come across the offending objects in the
sink. After all, they have taught me a lot.
TRY: Watching your reactions in situations that annoy
you or make you angry. Notice how even speaking of
something "making" you angry surrenders your power
to others. Such occasions are good opportunities to
experiment with mindfulness as a pot into which you
can put all your feelings and just be with them, letting