Cancel Out the Noise

I have four children - a boy and three girls.  As much as my son loves his sisters, they can sometimes be a bit much for him.  The constant noise, chatter, drama, and, let’s be honest, arguing can get to him.  Besides going outside to play basketball, he recently discovered a trick to “get away” from the noise and irritation - noise canceling headphones.

When it is getting too much for him, he will put on the headphones and go around the house minding his own business.  Sometimes he is listening to music, other times he has them on with no noise.  Either way, this helps him to not get upset at his sisters and add to the noise by yelling at them (yes, I just admitted that happens in our home!).  When he is wearing the headphones, he is able to drown out the things that make him irritated, frustrated, and angry.

I can’t help but think how this might be a good tactic for the rest of us.  It’s no secret that there is a lot going on in our world.  Everywhere you turn you are bombarded with the issues of our day.  The debates and opinions are everywhere.  If you are anything like me, you are often overwhelmed with it all.  I find myself getting irritated and upset at someone’s opinion, or get caught up in reading how people are debating a certain topic - often on social media.  I find myself reading this stuff and feel my blood pressure rise.

Perhaps I need to put on my own “noise cancelling headphones” and take a step away from the drama before I lose my cool, or get angry over something that is out of my control, or say/do something I shouldn’t, or before I am so overwhelmed with that I lose sleep.  Putting on my “headphones” can look like any number of things, but it may be something as simple as taking a break from whatever is adding to the stress (I.e. social media).  Instead, I can focus on other things - like spending time with the Lord.

Just like my son has recognized his “trigger” and found a way to help him deal with it properly, we need to pinpoint what in our life might set us off, and find a way to eliminate that stressor.  It won’t stop those outside factors from happening, but I think we will find we are happier and more peaceful in our life.