I hear too often, “this person made me upset.” When I hear that I think, Did they make you?

I don’t believe that people make us feel anything. If they did, what would that say about self control?

Instead, I believe that our feelings are in response to what we observe in the world. Perhaps our feelings are meant to draw us towards or away from something? Perhaps that’s why our feelings often lead to stories.

Have you noticed that when you feel negatively about someone you tend to tell yourself a story about them? It’s possible you let those stories stew in your mind. And like a stew, your story becomes more concentrated the longer it sits and simmers.

If only we could allow our emotions to be more like a stir fry.