Do you have any pet peeves? Do you get annoyed when someone puts the toilet paper roll on “the other way” or when your mate squeezes the toothpaste in the middle of the tube? Are you easily aggravated by certain peculiarities of a good friend or a coworker? If so, you are not alone. We all occasionally let little things annoy, irritate, or upset us. However, there is a fine line between having a couple of pet peeves and being a grouchy, negative person who overreacts to the smallest, most inconsequential things. How can you tell if you are the latter? Ask someone who spends a lot of time around you. You may be surprised to discover how much negative energy you produce and how uncomfortable you sometimes make others feel.
The danger of pet peeves is that they elicit harsher than necessary reactions from you, creating needless stress for you and those around you. In addition, by focusing on the little, relatively unimportant things, you are wasting energy that could otherwise be spent on more productive uses. Further, realize that you are not perfect and that some of the very things you do are certainly a source of irritation to others. Learn to be more forgiving and accepting of others as you hope they would be of you. Remind yourself often, daily if necessary, that when it comes time for you to leave this earth, the little things that annoyed you on a daily basis will have robbed you of precious time…time that cannot be replaced.
as bobby mcferrin says – don’t worry, be happy
Right on. I personally have been trying to block out the little frustrating things that seem to set me back daily. All my life, I’ve been a bit of a complainer. I didn’t realize what a downer I was until a couple of years ago when my boss pulled me aside about it. I’ve since asked my friends, and they admitted it’s true. I guess they didn’t want to hurt my feelings. It was a real eye opener. I make a concerted effort to stop let little things bother me, and although I have to catch myself sometimes, I’ve made tremendous strides.
Great post man! It’s refreshing to know that I’m not the only one that feels this way about pet peeves. BTW, great blog!!