Water boils at 212˚F

I often talk about the difference between 211˚ and 212˚. Only 1 degree separates them, but everything changes between the two.

At 211, water is calm, flat, reserved. It could be 85, 120, or 180. At 212, water begins to bubble. It gets very active, even violent one might say.

Years ago, I would wonder how the smallest of annoyances later in the day might set me off when any number of issues, perhaps even larger, would have passed through me earlier in the day without tipping me into anger or a raised voice.

Eventually, it occurred to me that the early incidents in a day simply caused my temperature to start rising, but not yet putting me over the boiling point. But if you are at 211 for any reason, it could be the smallest of things that moves you to 212. To the person delivering that final blow, that last degree, it would appear that they had really done something incredibly wrong when in fact it was the culmination of challenges that were the main contributers.

Meditation, exercise, less drinking, good sleep all contribute to maintaining composure in challenging situations, and staying below the boiling point. Keeping in mind that a few bad moments in a day don’t need to ruin the whole day has been game-changing for me these past few months.