Good point, Diane. I agree that things are rough right now, and it is a very normal reaction for folks to react to that difficulty by trying to hold on as tightly as possible. I think that things are ALWAYS out of our control, but we manage to fool ourselves most of the time because we are able to maintain the illusion. For instance, people we love can die, or economic or health situations can shift quickly in a heartbeat. But most of the time, if we stay busy enough, we can pretend that is not the case.
In times like this, however, we see the truth for what it is: our circumstances are much more precarious than they seem on the surface in good times. My question is this: did we ever have as much control as we thought we did? I guess that the control that I am thinking about is force-when are we being so set in our agenda that we miss the possibility that is out there. Sometimes we are impatient about letting things play out, and we make things more difficult for ourselves. I have a real tendency toward this one!:)
To me, the best way to deal with being in an out of control situation is to focus on the present moment. Focus on what I am grateful for, focus on what I have. Focus on the fact that I have survived difficulty in the past, and will figure it out. Panic and fear do not help. They create anxiety and, I believe, keep us from doing our best creative problem solving when we need it most. Rigidity makes it more tough, especially when times are dire. Flexibility, openness and adaptibility lead us to an agility of mind that we need right now.
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Good point, Diane. I agree that things are rough right now, and it is a very normal reaction for folks to react to that difficulty by trying to hold on as tightly as possible. I think that things are ALWAYS out of our control, but we manage to fool ourselves most of the time because we are able to maintain the illusion. For instance, people we love can die, or economic or health situations can shift quickly in a heartbeat. But most of the time, if we stay busy enough, we can pretend that is not the case.
In times like this, however, we see the truth for what it is: our circumstances are much more precarious than they seem on the surface in good times. My question is this: did we ever have as much control as we thought we did? I guess that the control that I am thinking about is force-when are we being so set in our agenda that we miss the possibility that is out there. Sometimes we are impatient about letting things play out, and we make things more difficult for ourselves. I have a real tendency toward this one!:)
To me, the best way to deal with being in an out of control situation is to focus on the present moment. Focus on what I am grateful for, focus on what I have. Focus on the fact that I have survived difficulty in the past, and will figure it out. Panic and fear do not help. They create anxiety and, I believe, keep us from doing our best creative problem solving when we need it most. Rigidity makes it more tough, especially when times are dire. Flexibility, openness and adaptibility lead us to an agility of mind that we need right now.
July 6, 2009 - 4:46pmThis Comment
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