Enjoy the Roller-coaster

I am always pointing out how we should be living a life of intention. How we should be planning out our time in an effort to cut out the clutter, and get more fulfillment.

This is all well and good, but even the most carefully manicured life has surprises that occur to COMPLETELY DISRUPT OUR PLAN. That’s what I like to call, “Life”.

While we should be creating a life of intention, let this not suggest that if we do it’s all going to be smooth and perfectly to plan. That’s just not realistic. If we get 75% of our plans to carry out just as intended, We’re doing great. But even at 75% (or even 50% for that matter), we’d still be living a more fulfilling life than if we didn’t carry out this intentional life.

Unfortunately living a life of intention can have us spoiled to expect that everything will always go to plan. Sorry kids, but the jokes on you. How we react to these changes, these “surprise occurrences”, is another part of this life of intention. We could continue to do what so many of us do and get angry, throw a temper-tantrum, give up, or force the result we want (at all cost); all of which is self sabotaging. Or, we can follow these rules:

  1. Accept that there are things beyond our control.
  2. Never lose focus on the things we can control.
  3. Be ready and willing to adapt to changes at a moments notice.
  4. Don’t Panic! (Direct from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy)

If we follow these rules, we will always get better results in every situation. Either we will get back on the planned track sooner, OR (and here is when things get interesting)…..

 

Our situation is changed ……. irrevocably. In this case holding to these rules is even more important.

But let’s take this one step further.

 

How about …….we make a slight modification to rule 1 in this case. How about:

  1. EMBRACE the fact that there are things beyond our control.

I have found that people that do this are much more adaptable.

In many ways, life is like a roller-coaster. Now we can choose to curse every dip, climb, and loop because it’s not part of OUR plan, or we can try to enjoy the flow, let it wash over us. In doing so we open our minds to new opportunities that present themselves in the new change. We can’t notice these opportunities if we are jaded, angry, or disoriented. We will have a better sense of awareness, and find value, find richness in potentially pursuing a new and different path.

Adaptability leads to opportunity.