Trusting the Process

There is a mentality that is common in beach communities and other nature loving groups that draws from seeing the magniture of the univrse and how to changes.  It is a combination of awe in the systems that are going around us and a humility of realizing how little of a part of it all that we happen to be.  Suddenly, in that moment, things we thought were so important seem small and things that seemed urgent are given a pause.

I have have had a lot of plans that did not go the way that I thought they would go.  There are changes that have happened off and on all though my life.  Some of them have been very difficult leavings and some are difficult comings due to feelings and fears.  In the midst of it all, it can be so conflusing and unclear.  

However, one thing that I have concluded over my life is that the desire to control outcomes only serves to potentially lead to their demise and keep us from needed changes within ourself or our direction.  Ultimately, what will happen, will happen.  

Now, I'm not going to preach a all things happen for a reason message or all things are random.  Doing so would assume that all things are the same, and that is not the case.  Nor, am I qualified to know what the purpose of anything would be, if there is a purpose... or knowledgeable about what is happening in each of your individual lives.

But, what I do feel confident in saying is that fighting against changes are less important than observing them, learning from them, improving ourselves, and moving forward with lessons for a better future.

So, this blog post is me saying that in my own life, I am going to stop trying to make things fit my plans and am going to be more observant and an open participant in trusting that the process, though difficult at time, is able to be a means to making a better me and therefore a better future for myself and others.  I would suggest that is something that can be true for us all.

Compartmentalize

This won't be a long one.  But, one lesson you definitely need to learn on your journey to happiness is the ability to compartmentalize.  I don't know where it came in along the way that people feel that in order to be at peace they must first completely process and heal from one thing to be able to experience and appreciate the next, but that has not been my reality.  

At any time in my life, I could switch channels in my emotions to reflections on my time with my kids.. the good and the bad, romantic pasts, hopeful futures, career goals, personal goals, personal interests, or simply pausing to enjoy the absolute beauty of a sunset... a music theme... a dessert.  

The path to happiness does not mean that you must first overcome the pain in order to live the happiness.  That has NEVER been the case in my life.  What you need to be able to do is to compartmentalize things, so that one does not have to do with the other.  You can say... this is nice and this makes me happy, even as you are dealing with loss or struggle or stress.  If you are waiting till everything is perfect, you.. will.. never .. be .. happy.  And, I am going to end this abruptly on that note, because I think YOU need to process it.  Life does not happen in a vacuum.  The good and the bad are all important, but you can at any point in the story find something to make you smile, and life is much better if you do.