As I walked my dogs recently on what "should" have been a beautiful and balmy spring morning here in Las Vegas, I was bundled up, head ducked into the wind wishing spring would hurry up and get here. It was a day that reminded me more of mid-December than early May. It also reminded me of how programmed we are to expect things to be predictable (meaning: to be as we want them to be), whether that is in matters of weather or anything else. Life is, by its very nature, unpredictable. And there is no end to the misery we generate expecting it to be otherwise.
Think about it: from the moment we enter the world until the moment of our passing from this life, we try to harness everything, to predict, control and bend circumstances to our will. We listen to weather reports in an effort to help us predict, plan and understand the weather. We attempt to schedule everything in life, hoping against hope that our supreme planning efforts will enable us to eliminate risk and unpredictability. The thinking goes that by controlling every circumstance and situation, or at least most of them, we can eventually relax and be at peace.
Don't get me wrong. There is tremendous value in organizing and prioritizing our lives. It's a necessity. Traffic and weather reports have their place. I wouldn't think of not having adequate insurance. And I also have my scheduling devices--Palm Pilot and Franklin Planner.
But somewhere along the way, we've forgotten that despite our greatest efforts to control, life is simply fraught with a certain amount of chaos and unpredictability. We find ourselves fighting what is because "it" hasn't measured up to what we, in our "infinite wisdom" have decided it should be. But stop to think about it: Has any amount of wishing the weather would change ever changed the weather? Does wanting to be out of traffic get us there any sooner?
The weather is the weather. The traffic is the traffic. The more we embrace and allow the "unexpected" to be the norm, the less we're thrown off when things don't meet our expectations. Of course weather and traffic are simply two of the minor irritations and unpredictabilities we face in a given day. But if you're going to shift your attitude to embrace the unexpected, they're just as good as anything to help you do that.
Try an experiment this week. When you find yourself fighting a situation (start small with things like the weather and traffic), simply allow yourself to welcome the unexpected. Find a way to be at peace in the situation, whether the wind is blowing in May, you're stuck in traffic or you're in the slow lane at the bank or grocery store. Take a deep breath, open your eyes, and give up expecting the situation to be as you think it should be. Instead, allow it to be as it is.
Done consistently, this welcoming of the unexpected, allowing things to be as they are, transforms the relationship between you and the present moment. Coming from this more relaxed and peaceful perspective, you suddenly begin to enjoy the late spring wind storm. Being stuck in traffic and not fighting it, you're now present enough to notice the beauty of the mountains or the flowers blooming in someone's yard. And amazingly the "emotional plaque" that builds up from angsting over things that are out of your control begins to melt away.
Don't take my word for it. This week, make it your mission to welcome the unexpected...and see what new joys and pleasures the unexpected present has in store for you!
Betty
***********************
Quote of the Week
***********************
"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift; that's why it's called 'the present.'" ~~Ziggy
Betty Mahalik has been coaching small business owners, independent professionals and leaders who want to achieve more but stress less, since 1996. Her background includes several years in the broadcasting and public relations fields prior to starting her own firm in 1987. She is an accomplished public speaker and corporate trainer specializing in communications, goal-setting and leveraging your strengths. Since 2001, she has written a weekly motivational message, free to subscribers, titled Monday Morning Coach. To subscribe or learn more about Betty's coaching and training services, visit http://www.dynamic-coaching.com
efficient cleaning crew Northbrook ..Change your attitude, change your lifeIn my experiences, I've found... Read More
Our initial reaction when hitting a setback or a "roadblock,... Read More
When you look at your future in terms of your... Read More
" If you have faith as a grain of musterd... Read More
Are you a person who loves challenges, or hates them?... Read More
By definition,an affirmation is a statement repeated time and again... Read More
I was a young girl aged 12, when the one... Read More
Striving to improve our self esteem is on everybody's mind.... Read More
WE ARE ALL THINKING ALL OF THE TIME.Can you believe... Read More
The late Norman Vincent Peale was a controversial preacher who... Read More
No one becomes successful by accident. Motivational speaker Les Brown... Read More
Being the next Carmen Electra or Paris Hilton might or... Read More
In the latest and final Star Wars saga, Anakin Skywalker... Read More
The way we use language can have a huge impact... Read More
We are all involved in this game called life and... Read More
Just in an average day we can experience many things... Read More
Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Is the glass... Read More
Using an opponent's force against them is the fundamental teaching... Read More
As I swooshed down the Zoom Flume water slide at... Read More
One day while in deep meditation and self analysis, a... Read More
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious."... Read More
Know your limits. Accept what you can't change and let... Read More
Why do we really need the experiences that we have... Read More
Not Amen, just so we're clear on that.AND.The little connector... Read More
You've probably heard this idea at one time or another.... Read More
cleaning lady near Wilmette ..I've yet to meet the person who never struggles with... Read More
Almost everyone experiences some form of worry one time or... Read More
The mind absolutely amazes me. It will never be understood,... Read More
Gratitude is one of the most important things you can... Read More
Gail's StoryGail is a friend of mine and she was... Read More
What is a paradigm? In my own words, a paradigm... Read More
In order to learn how to relieve ourselves of self-defeating... Read More
For the twelve hundred hostages, most especially Timur Kasumova.It's a... Read More
There is a wonderful story about the famous escape artist,... Read More
Celebrating is a skill that adults with ADD (Attention Deficit... Read More
Did you know that our thoughts may be influencing our... Read More
Every emotion, wether we classify it as good or bad,... Read More
For most of us our lives are a problem which... Read More
In order for you to make positive ground daily you... Read More
THOUGHTS are powerful. The power of THOUGHTS cannot be underestimated.... Read More
Say aloud:I AM. I AM Consciousness. I AM the creator... Read More
Henry Ford, after he had achieved great success, was the... Read More
Year after year I find more and more individuals saying... Read More
With the probable exception of some basic instincts ? or... Read More
Every day something changes at work: your products, your customers,... Read More
"If I have the belief that I can do it,... Read More
Quote of the week:"Of all the attitudes we can acquire,... Read More
One thing in life is certain---change. Things never stay the... Read More
Heard of a raindance? It is a ritual used by... Read More
Since the beginning of human history we have been living... Read More
Positive Attitude Tips |