Our strengths are our favorite tools. Time and again they’ve served us well when we need them the most. They’ve gotten us through difficulties and helped us achieve our goals. So it’s natural when facing obstacles that we turn to these proven talents first. But what got us here, won’t necessarily get us to where we need to be or want to be next. New situations have different challenges and may require fresh techniques and strategies. We must be willing to adjust and adapt to what is required and not simply rely on that at which we are adept.
In times of uncertainty and confusion, frustration usually creeps in. We’re not sure what we should do. We just know we need to do something; take some kind of action. Our first instinct is often to leave, to push away from the negative feelings. But it’s in these moments that we need to resist the urge for flight and to overanalyze and just lean into the chaos, letting the disquiet inside us settle. We can do this by tapping into our faith and believing in ourselves and trusting that life will offer the people and experiences we are meant to have.
We are encouraged to be strategic, have vision, and make decisions for the long term. But the truth is we see only what each choice uncovers. We can look ahead and map out a plan, predicting what will happen, and how we will respond. But the instant we make a decision and act, a new reality is born, and the world we knew only seconds ago has faded. There are no guarantees or absolutes. All we can do is have faith in ourselves and the choices we make, and know, life will offer us the experiences we are meant to have.
Guilt is wasted emotion. It’s understandable to feel bad when unfortunate situations unfold or when our actions unintentionally hurt another. But when those pangs of remorse well up inside us, and we start wishing we had never made the choices we did, we must remind ourselves that we did so in full control of our faculties. That doesn’t mean we’re justifying our decisions as correct. It’s merely saying we’re taking responsibility and recognizing our current reality is the one we’re meant to be living. Taking chances, trusting our instincts, following our passion creates the world we really want, and deserve.
Our cares, wants, and worries are all so different when we are happy. The peace we experience assuages the most excessive, and often destructive, cravings and mollifies the nagging, trivial concerns that pervade our day-to-day lives. It is not a great mystery that this is why we spend so much time searching for happiness. Even if only for a few moments, the equanimity we find when engaged and content gives us freedom and independence. We want what we have and have what we want. We no longer question and just accept and appreciate who and where we are.
There is no shame in asking for help or looking outside ourselves for direction. Everything is connected, so what we do impacts the world, just as what is happening in our external environment directly affects us. To expect to have all the answers to our questions and problems, not only limits what we can achieve but easily becomes narcissistic folly. But at some point, we must stop searching and trust ourselves to make critical decisions. While inspiration and guidance can be found all around us, the choice of what we do and how we respond ultimately lies solely within us.
In times of uncertainty and confusion, frustration usually creeps in. We’re not sure what we should do. We just know we need to do something; take some kind of action. Our first instinct is often to leave, to push away from the negative feelings. But it’s in these moments that we need to resist the urge for flight and to overanalyze and just lean into the chaos, letting the disquiet inside us settle. We can do this by tapping into our faith and believing in ourselves and trusting that life will offer the people and experiences we are meant to have.
