My Dad recently came out with one of his perfect one liners. We were discussing how many of life troubles boil down to getting in our own way… or as he put it “bucking the headwind.” (For those of you who are as perplexed as I was, it’s equivalent to dodging oncoming headwinds while in a plane. It’s much easier for the pilot to surrender and allow the plane to go with the flow than dodge back and forth.)
What a great metaphor for the challenges we come up against personally or professionally. When we resist “what is” and instead push, pull, and forcefully try for things to be different, life become even more difficult.
So how do we get to a place where we are able to ride out the storm without trying to manage everything (and driving ourselves crazy while doing so!)? Here are a few tips:
Fire Your Inner Control Freak: Meet others where they are at. Acknowledging their point of view without trying to make it any other way than what it is, can actually be quite freeing.
Ask Yourself This Key Question: “What would my life feel like right now if I let go of the need to control and manage this person/experience/outcome?”
Focus on YOU: So often when we come up against those headwinds, it’s tempting to point the finger and look outside ourselves. “Why did this happen? Who is to blame? I can’t believe he/she did XYZ.”Control what you can control… which is you.
Power Statement: When outside influences start stealing your joy OR when your inner critic thinks he/she is in charge of running your life, simply repeat “DON’T MESS WITH MY PEACE!”
Have a great weekend!
Meg
