Saturday Workshop-How to Stay Calm (when you’re about to lose it!)

“How to Stay Calm” (when you’re about to lose it!)

Presenter:  Bro. Mark Shroeder, ofm

Learn how to listen without reacting in an emotional outburst of anger or self-righteousness. How to stay cool when someone hits your “HOT button”.

Isn’t it amazing how easily we let someone or something irk us? A news cast, a neighbor’s comment about your yard, A few sentences of a Sunday sermon. A conversation at the dinner table.  Pema Chödrön has written about the Buddhist notion of Shenpa, which she defines as ‘biting the hook’ of our habitual reactions.  When someone important leaves our life, we may bite the hook of grasping. When we witness an injustice, we may bite the hook of rage. When we realize we have made a big mistake, we may bite the hook of numbness. Looking at some of traditional values taught us by St. Francis and St. Clare, gratitude, simplicity and contemplation, along with practical values taught us by Pope Francis, humility and service, we can learn how we can chose not to ‘bite the hook.’