What if You Believed that Things Happen as They’re Supposed to?
It was a beautiful morning, so I was excited to be headed to yoga in the park, the only day that week that the studio offered yoga outside. But before I left, I needed to clean our camper for the next set of renters. We were really enjoying offering our popup camper to families through the Outdoorsy website.
As I was putting on the finishing touches, the lights in the camper went out. What?! I thought my husband had done something, but no, they just went out. That meant quickly doing some electrical troubleshooting before the renters arrived. That also meant no yoga in the park.
Years ago a situation like this would have made me resentful and put me in a bad mood. I was definitely disappointed, but I remembered my new adage, it’s easier to believe that things turn out for the best. Maybe there was a reason I wasn’t supposed to go to yoga that day. I may never know for sure or know why, but maybe it was better this way.
This may sound silly or preposterous, but taking this approach brings me so much peace of mind and much less stress resisting what is.
I have experimented with this idea for several years now. If I forgot something at home and had to turn around, instead of feeling upset, I would shrug and think, that maybe by turning around I was avoiding an accident or some other incident. No stress.
If I had plans to meet up with a friend, but something came up and they had to cancel, I would tell myself that it was for the best.
Sometimes this approach is easier than others. If it’s something I’m really looking forward to, it can take me a while longer to shift. But the more I can shift, the easier life gets.
Just to be clear, I’m talking about things we can’t control. I’m not saying we shouldn’t stand up for injustices or push back when it’s appropriate. But so often our plans are interrupted and we can adapt or we can resist.
This week, look for little things in your day that go “wrong.” Experiment with telling yourself a different story. Maybe it’s better this way.
