The Dogs Keep Barking but the Caravan Rolls On

My old colleague Margaret used to say this about detractors; they may complain or criticize, but they don't have to affect you or even merit a response. The saying popped into my head while meditating today. "Monkey brain" kept pulling at me (monkey brain is the tendency of our minds to wander while trying to stay focused). I have been disturbed by an interaction I had where I felt criticized for actions I felt were right and sound, and I kept dwelling on it. I was listening to the dogs instead of marching on.

I changed my mantra (I'm not sure if that's Kosher during meditation, but whatever, it's my practice) to "you do you," to reframe the interaction, and it was helpful. It happened, and it was more about their fear than about anything I had done wrong. They needed to express their concerns and displeasure, and I needed to let it roll off my back. Complaining is not moving forward with a plan to address the concern, and that is where my efforts should be focused—not on defending myself or ruminating on how out of line the criticisms were. The complainant was barking at my caravan, and I am rolling on to my destination: a practical solution to address their concerns.

I wonder how often we all get stuck in angst, rather than chalking interactions up to the other person's issues and moving forward with a rational plan. For me, I think it's maybe 95% of the time, and today was a good reminder not to fall onto that hamster wheel.

This little guy got off the wheel and is looking forward to finding some corn

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