Day 6: Trigger Recognition
Triggers aren’t always loud. Sometimes they don’t show up as reactions at all. Sometimes they arrive quietly, settling into the body as tension, looping thoughts, or a restless need to understand why something feels off. For me, recognition didn’t come from explosive moments, but rather from noticing what lingered after the moment had passed. It started with what stayed behind… the silence, the replaying thoughts, the unanswered questions. The thoughts that repeated themselves in quiet moments. The tension felt even when nothing was actively happening. The urge to understand, explain, or resolve something that wasn’t asked to be solved. I used to mistake that internal activity for failure or weakness. I thought if something stayed with me, it meant I had done something wrong.
Recognition shifted that perspective. I began to notice how my body and mind respond when resolutions aren’t an option. The desire to understand didn’t disappear, but it softened. I learned that I can wish things were different without abandoning reality. I can feel disappointment without questioning my worth. I can sit with discomfort without rushing to assign blame and point fingers… to myself or anyone else. Now I understand that sitting with the discomfort is part of the work. Some things don’t need answers. Some experiences ask to be felt without interpretation. I can acknowledge disappointment, grief, or frustration without letting it define my sense of self.
There are some situations where nothing can be fixed or resolved, where silence offers no clarity, and answers never arrive. I have learned that this is where triggers tend to deepen. The mind wants to trace the root, replay conversations, and solve something that isn’t actually solvable. That rumination can feel exhausting, especially when paired with the awareness that there’s nothing left to do but sit with what is. Becoming aware of my triggers didn’t eliminate them. It clarified them. It helped me see where my responsibility ends and where I no longer need to carry what isn’t mine. That awareness made me less apologetic and more intentional. Growth followed naturally… not because I forced it, but because avoidance no longer fit.
With that recognition came something else that surprised me… dimming myself was no longer an option. I didn’t fight this hard to understand myself just to shrink in response to other people’s unexamined discomfort. I deserve to be happy. I deserve to be bright. Whatever energy I carry, whatever light I have been given, it serves a purpose. Backing down to accommodate avoidance is no longer part of my process. What others choose to face, or refuse to face, is not mine to manage anymore.
Recognizing my triggers has taught me more patience… not just with others, but with myself. It showed me how much energy I spent absorbing what others refuse to examine. Awareness has made me less reactive and more discerning. It has reshaped what I tolerate, how long I stay, and where I invest my care. The clarity in where my responsibility ends and where someone else’s work begins made me less apologetic and more selective. Not hardened… just aware.
Growth didn’t come from avoiding discomfort. It came from staying present with it long enough to understand what it was asking of me.
Quiet Part Day 6: Awareness marked the shift. Growth followed. Avoidance stayed behind.
January 6th, 2026
