Detours…
We have access to the most precise technology ever imagined. We plan our day, our travel, our everything based on the little device we hold in our had. We know EXACTLY where we are going, what the weather will be, how to get there, and even what the distance and time will be from here to there. We type it in our little device and hit ‘GO’! and we are off to our destination. We don’t even have to think anymore… we just get in the plane, train, or automobile and we let the unknowns and uncertainties brush off our shoulders so we can focus on the more urgent tasks of the day.
But… then…
Have you ever been driving and missed a turn, had to slow down because of construction, or even had to stop for rush hour traffic?
How did that make you feel?
Did you get frustrated or angry?
Where you stressed or anxious?
How did you physically and verbally react the situation?
Have you ever wondered why?…
What creates the reactions you have when you are faced with something that doesn’t fit your “plan”?
Let’s look into this for just a moment.
What is your reaction?
Why do you react this way?
How would you prefer to respond to setbacks and adversities?
Have you ever sat back and thought about how much longer it actually takes when you turn on the wrong road or have to go 5-10 mph under your desired speed?
It is under 5 minutes in most cases. (Yes, I know there are ALWAYS exceptions to the circumstances.)
Is the thought of ‘losing’ 5 minutes worth losing the personal power over your thoughts, feelings, and actions for the rest of the day?
Are you really in that big of a hurry to get where you are going?
Is 5 minutes really going to make of break the rest of your life?
If it is, I have some bold news to pass along to you.
Look in the mirror, it is your fault.
If 5 minutes is going to make or break your entire day, then you have set yourself up with the thoughts, feelings, and actions which have taken you to this point. The insistent need to take care of the urgencies and emergencies you have rather than focusing on the major priorities has led you too exactly where you are.
If 5 minutes is going to make or break you, I would suggest you start with looking at where you are mentally, physically, emotionally so you can align yourself with reality… knowing where you truly are is the best step you can take to moving forward in the BEST possible direction, FOR YOU!
Start where you are… and then you can begin to work to where you want to go.
That sounds harsh Gary…. Thank you for blaming me for all my own problems… but… but… but… it is not my fault…
Yes, I understand how you feel. I felt the same way in my own life until I found out that I am the only person that has power over my thoughts, feelings, and actions. It is up to me to focus my attention on what I can control versus all the things I can’t. Then, I had to learn to listen to myself to understand what I was doing and why I was doing it. Listening to myself without judgment or ridicule allowed me to find the weak spots in my day so I knew where to focus my efforts.
Then, I had to set myself up to be better in the future… Leaving a profit in my own life. Learning to focus my energy on the KNOWNS vs the unknowns and uncertainties allowed me to live in the present. Living in the NOW is truly the only way we can live a JOYFUL and HAPPY life.
Attempting to live in the past creates the suffering of loss and depression.
Attempting to live in the future creates the suffering of worry and anxiety.
Attempting to live in the now releases the tension between the past and the present allowing more of our emotional energy to be used toward more positive thoughts, more desirable behaviors, and creating the best possible environment we can surround ourselves with to thrive.
Living our best life truly comes from being present and living in the NOW.
But Gary, how do we do that?
The best first step is to STOP!
(You are going to meditate for less than 60 seconds. This will be how to create your own “state” of NOW. Learning to STOP and TAKE A BREATH is the way for you to learn to dam the river of negativity and break the cycle of undesirable thoughts and emotions to curb the destructive behaviors that follow.)
The next best step is to close your eyes (if you are in a safe place to do so) take a HUGE BREATH IN and then a HUGE RELIEVEING BREATH OUT.
(Breath in the Sunshine… breath out the Darkness…)
Then ask 3 primary questions:
What am I feeling?
Why am I feeling this way?
How can I take the best first step forward in a more positive direction?
NOW GO!
Take that first step in the new direction! The moment you hesitate, you lost your ‘state’, and you will be heading back down the old path that led you to where you are today. Fear fills the empty space between thought and action. If you hesitate, the negative self-talk monster will show up and begin eating your courage away from you.
Don’t worry about making mistakes or how long it will take or even if you will get all the way to the end…
There is no course map.
There is no pacer.
There is no finish line.
There is no time limit.
There is only the direction of your heart, the focus of your mind, and the step you are in that will lead you everywhere you want to go… or nowhere at all.
Take the wrong turns…
Slowdown in traffic…
Accept the detours…
Live your best life by learning to make the best of today, healing from yesterday, and dreaming about tomorrow knowing by doing the best you can today, all your tomorrows will compound into more than you can ever imagine.
Always cheering for you,
Gary
YOU ARE AMAZING! 