Extinguish fires of fear from rage with comfort of calm

Someone else’s yelling.

I run from it.

In thought.

If someone yells at me– or anyone else– I exit, often immediately.

It’s a definite flee strategy.

I can not stand hearing raised voices, intense anger, or rage.

Prolly fair to say no one can.

 

Case in Point:

So yesterday, when my across the hall neighbor began his verbal rage from the parking lot, same feelings ensued: I wanted out.

I had to interrupt a client if I may reschedule our phone consultation, deep bow to her for agreeing.

I knew I had to do two things:

1. establish safety in my surroundings

2. restore a sense of security and calm within.

His enraged tones and angered behavior was that much of an assumed pending threat to my sense of security.

The Situation

Angered by some kind of work situation, this neighbor yelled from the parking lot up toward the sky, banged on his car, yelled at his cell phone.

I’m certain others could hear the echo  for several blocks.

He brought his rage from the parking lot on up and down the three flights of stairs to his condo–across the hall from mine.

As it intensified, and endured, I wanted out.

Only problem was: I was already home.

I felt stuck because if I exited the condo I would run into him on the stairs or in the parking lot.

I felt angered too, because his behavior was an interruption to  the atmosphere of work I’d created for myself in my home.

And I felt threatened.

 

What I did to secure my surroundings

From a very practical standpoint: I reasoned while his anger was so very disconcerting, he didn’t pose an immediate physical threat to me.

I was physically 3 stories above the parking lot.

And the door to my condo was locked, barring his entry should he try to knock down my front door.

But at present there was no reason to.

I was not directly involved in his conflict.

Yet, this was a key choice of mine to stay inside my condo rather than try to vacate the building.

I did not want to come face to face with him.

I did not want to be anywhere near him.

 

My immediate reaction in my thinking:

Yet, though there was a locked door and three flights separating us, his tonations triggered memory of times when I was yelled at as a child.

Oh I was both livid and scared at the same time.

On the one hand, “how dare him interrupt our common airspace?”

On the other hand, “I dont want to be here, and I surely dont want to live across the hall from a verbally abusive neighbor.”

All of that. Blaring in my thought. I was that frieked.

 

What I did to create security within my thought

I knew I had to create a sense of safety in my thinking.

I opted to address the threat to my security in my thinking, I insisted I pray.

I knew that right there and at that moment, I was not alone.

There was no one else in my condo surely but I was not alone in my thoughts.

Why?

Because as you may well know if you’ve read this blog, I practice a conviction that I am — we all are–inseparable from the Mind that governs the universe, including our individual beings.

I believe unequivocably that I dwell in the atmosphere that Mind governs, and while praying,

I got very very still and defended this truth for a long long while.

Meanwhile he was still yelling through the rooftops at his client.

And during this time I realized something: that same intelligence was insisted on calming of the raging fires in Colorado that I’d been advocating and defending earlier that morning could very well calm the raging fires of fear in my thinking.

I calmed down somewhat, even though my neighbors rage went on.

I actually spent the better part of the afternoon praying and defending a sense of calm for me, and further, I included a hope for calm for my neighbor, for everyone really anywhere who was either enraged or feeling the effect of someone else’s rage.

Praying like this not only helped me calm down, it felt me defend a state of peace of mind for everyone, everywhere.

 

Aftermath

At some point, I noticed he’d stopped yelling.

And, gradually I felt able and courageous enough to take my dog downstairs for a long walk.

While doing so, I saw that not more than 2 blocks away is the police station, which simply comforted me again for another moment that had I felt it necessary, I could have called someone to come over and check on my neighbor.

And this image simply reinforced that feeling of 24/7 secure in thought, when remembering who and what governs my livelihood.

 

Summing up

While I won’t even begin to predict what he was bothered by, what I do care about is that I defended to the nth degree that I would not be made to feel a victim in my own home.

And while I have much work to do prior to not being touched by yelling should it happen again, I do know that I find great comfort and refuge in knowing that there is a presence of Love that is accessible at any moment.

I haven’t seen my neighbor at all today and he tends to only use his condo throughout the week.

I will hope that he gets resolved whatever situation he needs to with whomever he had the confrontation with.

But what I am certain about is that I will continue to carve out a sense of permanent safety and security in the atmosphere of thought, and that I take this no matter where I go, at home cozied up in my condo or out and about town or as I go about my doings.

 

“Pilgrim on earth, thy home is heaven, stranger thou art the guest of God.” ~ Mary Baker Eddy