Have you ever had a moment where you feel like you put in an entire day's worth of work, and you look at the clock and realize it has only been an hour? That was my Friday. I did not want to bang on the drums all day, but I did not want to do what I was doing. When do you slog on, and when do you call it quits? I took option three and worked on tasks due the following week that are time intensive. Choices do not have to be binary. Obstacles redirect you to something else, whether it be finding another path or finding a strategy to overcome the challenge. Doing other tasks changed the dynamics of the day.
But, and there is always a but - what if I am not a Zen master? Simply put, you will suffer. Many restraints hold tighter when struggle ensues. Surrender is often the only way that you can decipher how to achieve freedom. Take the time to understand your situation. Be curious. Why am I suffering? How does it manifest? Review your options. Sometimes you have to give yourself space to be able to see the entirety of your situation. A trick I use is to ask myself what I would tell someone else in this situation.
Getting grounded helps me to gain perspective. You do not need to climb a mountain and speak with an ancient guru. Take a deep breath, or go for a walk. If we accept the obstacles as part of the process, we can shift our mindset. Do you feel that everything is out to get you, or do you see challenges as learning opportunities? It is easier to surrender when you think that something is for your good. When you go to the gym, and it kicks your butt, you endure because you know it is building you up. Life is a series of training exercises. Do not skip leg day.
What's next? Go with the flow. How much energy do you waste struggling? Let the pain inform you. Tempting as it was to take a vacation day, I reviewed my options and persevered. I was delighted at how much I had accomplished by the end of the day. If I took the easy route, I would have missed out on that opportunity. There's the rub. When do you keep going, when do you stop, or when do you pivot? It depends. Not the answer you want to hear, but that is the fun part of life, the discovery! Namaste
