I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

There’s a great story from a podcast I listen to, Manager Tools. One of the guys talks about being poked in the chest on an elevator by a guy holding an umbrella under his arm. After the guy with the umbrella gets off he tells his buddy that the guy made him so mad. His buddy responds that it wasn’t the guy that made him mad, it was his decision to get mad.

Studying Buddhism I’ve found the same philosophy. We can choose to get upset or angry or excited. It’s our choice. Driving on the highway has become a much more enjoyable experience for me because I no longer get upset at the other drivers on the road. I sleep better because I don’t let things bother me as much anymore at work. It does take effort to rewrite our responses to things. It can be done though.