Whenever something triggers us, it’s because at the deeper level it is making us feel unsafe. On the surface, there are many reasons why circumstances, words, actions cause upset in us. They may evoke sadness, fear, anger, surprise, disgust, or a combination of them. But when we look into our emotional reaction, examine it and strip it layer after layer until we reach its roots, what we find there is a lack of safety.
At the root level, whenever something triggers us it’s because fundamentally it is causing us to feel unsafe in some way.
This is true for decisions, too. Whether we’re taking decisions or avoiding them, what we tend to gravitate toward is safety.
But it is the search for safety, security, certainty that makes us feel unsafe. Safety is never in the future. Any future safety is only an illusion of safety. Real safety is always only here, in the present moment. The future is uncertain by its very nature.
And, ironically, where we find the most safety is in the ability to be with the lack of it.