Living the Zen Life

What else could this mean?

What else could this mean?

“Most misunderstandings in the world could be avoided if people would simply take the time to ask, ‘What else could this mean?'”
—Shannon L. Alder

T

he understanding of process will reveal many wonderful things to you.

If a loved one says something that makes you angry, ask yourself, “What could have been his intention for saying that? Was it maliciousness? Was it his way of expressing an opinion? Was it care?” And if you’re not sure, it can open up a lovely opportunity for some inquiry. “When you said that, I felt hurt. I was wondering what your intention was. Can you help me understand what caused you to say that?”

And suddenly a dialog has opened up where one did not previously exist.

I can also explore my process of anger. Was it really about what he said or was it my interpretation of what he said? Do I seem to get angry about the same sorts of things? Am I looking for a reason to be angry? Is this a dynamic I want to investigate so I can choose another response?

Process opens the door to inquiry. And like I said to a client recently: Better to have an inquiry with a real person than an imaginary one inside your head!
 

In lovingkindness,


If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, Living the Zen Life: Practicing Conscious, Compassionate Awareness (Volume One).

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, Living the Zen Life: Practicing Conscious, Compassionate Awareness (Volume Two).

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, Living the Zen Life: Practicing Conscious, Compassionate Awareness (Volume Three).

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, A Shift to Love: Zen Stories and Lessons by Alex Mill.

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, Meditation and Reinventing Yourself.

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, The Zen Life: Spiritual Training for Modern Times.

 


  Alex Mill trained in a Zen Buddhist monastery for nearly 14 years. He now offers his extensive experience to transform people’s lives and businesses through timeless Zen principles.

He is the creator of three powerful 30-day programs, Heart-to-Heart: Compassionate Self-Mentoring, Help Yourself to Change, and Your Practice, as well as the online Zen meditation workshop, Taming Your Inner Noise (now offered as The FREE Zen Workshop).

Alex has also written seven books on Zen awareness practice. The latest are entitled A Shift to Love: Zen Stories and Lessons (Get it for FREE here) and the 3-book series Living the Zen Life: Practicing Conscious, Compassionate Awareness.

He is a full-time Zen Life Coach who offers guidance and life-changing support to his private clients worldwide. Book a call.