The world feels heavy right now. The news cycles are relentless, social media is ablaze with outrage, and everywhere you turn, leaders seem to be making decisions that stir deep emotions—frustration, anger, despair. Whether it’s political turmoil, global conflicts, or the sheer volume of opinions flooding your feed, it’s easy to feel like the world is happening to you.

But what if the world is actually happening for you?

Carl Jung once said, “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” That’s a profound statement, and if truly understood, it has the power to shift your entire experience of life.

When Someone Touches a Nerve, Pay Attention

Have you ever noticed how certain people, situations, or leaders get under your skin? It’s not random. It’s not just because they are wrong or misguided. It’s because something in their actions, words, or choices is reflecting something back to you.

It might be a quality you suppress in yourself. It might be an aspect of your thinking that you haven’t yet fully acknowledged. Maybe you see arrogance in another because a part of you struggles with your own ego. Maybe you feel enraged by someone’s dishonesty because you pride yourself on integrity—but deep down, you fear how you’ve been less than truthful with yourself.

The discomfort isn’t a punishment. It’s a teacher.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” – Viktor E. Frankl

From Reactivity to Responsiveness

Most of us live in a reactive state—angry at the news, frustrated by decisions beyond our control, ready to argue online with someone whose worldview clashes with our own. But reactivity robs you of clarity. It keeps you locked in a cycle of blame, judgment, and stress.

The real power lies in responsiveness. When you see that no one makes you feel anything—that your experience is always coming from within—you start to reclaim your own peace. You stop being a victim of circumstances and start becoming a student of your own mind.

This doesn’t mean you suddenly agree with every leader or policy. It doesn’t mean you passively accept injustice. It means you navigate the world with a level of clarity that allows you to act with wisdom instead of reacting from emotion.

The Gift Hidden in Frustration

What if the very things that anger you the most are actually invitations to a deeper understanding of yourself? What if, instead of being a source of pain, they were a doorway to more peace, more clarity, and more freedom?

The next time something touches a nerve, pause. Ask yourself: What is this trying to show me about myself? When you do, you step into the greatest lesson of all—the ability to meet life with insight rather than outrage. To move from reaction to response. To stop being at the mercy of the world and start being in harmony with it.

No one is doing anything to you. It’s all coming from within. And when you see that, you are free.

Now, go spread your sunshine. (My Mother’s favourite saying!)

Kind regards,

11/100

Another related post I wrote 2024: The Man in the Mirror