For quite a few months now, construction has been going on in a house above mine. I only became aware of it through the sounds—otherwise, I wouldn’t have known about it.
Naturally, those sounds are a bit annoying. They aren’t continuous, so you don’t really get used to them either. While growing up, one of our houses was quite close to a road that saw truck traffic at night. I remember how we eventually got used to it, and it stopped bothering us.
Much like these “construction sounds,” life is full of similar disturbances. It’s up to us how we handle them. If we allow them to bother us, they surely will—because in most situations, we can’t control the source of these “sounds.” Here, “sounds” don’t just refer to physical noise but to anything that disrupts or disturbs us.
Ignoring them isn’t always easy, and at times, we may feel the need to vent our frustration. Another technique I’ve found useful is asking myself: Can I remove myself from the situation? This doesn’t always mean physically leaving—it can also mean stepping away from digital spaces that might disturb us while offering little value in terms of growth or learning. The phrase “ignorance is bliss” comes to mind.
Even these “sounds” can help us develop resilience, which I believe is a valuable trait. Imagine being in a room full of distractions yet still managing to focus on what truly matters.