I was tested today. No, not as in Covid testing or an exam in school. I mean my patience, my mental state. Let me explain:
Have you ever planned to do something and uncontrollable circumstances stepped in and kept you from executing that “thing” as planned? Who am I asking- who has NOT had that happen?! How did you react?
Today I had every intention of running on a flat bike/running trail. I had an appointment a good long drive away so I figured I would bring my running stuff and run on the trail that I just “knew” was there. I pulled up to where I thought this trail was and… it was non-existent. It was a railroad track! A bit disgruntled, I drove away from that parking lot determined to find this trail that I envisioned was there. So there I was, driving around looking for something that does not actually exist in that particular place. After a few (or maybe more than a few) minutes, and in interest of not wasting precious gas, I decided to pull over and go for a run around the present neighborhood.
Why is this interesting?
Maybe it is not but, for me, it was a lesson about choices and what I could control. In that moment I saw two paths- a choice to be annoyed and let that negative energy take over my well being and cause a toxic vibrational state for the rest of the morning (or maybe even day) or, I could accept that my plan was not going to be exactly as I envisioned and make the best of the situation. Sometimes, this new plan has a way of turning out to be even better than the one we thought we wanted.
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Since I am writing this post, I bet you can guess which path I chose!
We all have circumstances beyond our control. We have situations that do not go according to our “plan”- the co-worker who shows up late for work causing us to stay longer, traffic that routes us on a detour, the client who has not yet replied to our bid and we anxiously want that contract, etc. We cannot control those “external” factors. We can, however, control our thoughts and, in turn, our reactions which can shape the narrative or outcome of that situation.
By changing my route today, I was able to explore a new neighborhood in which I was not familiar. I was able to add hill work into my run (okay, that may be more of a love-hate cause and effect), and to top it off, I even saved myself some time by running wherever I was rather than driving all the way back to where I started. It was during my run when I realized that I chose to focus on the positive aspects of the situation and see the good rather than be annoyed, frustrated, or hold onto negative emotions. Perhaps a while back I would not have done so and let myself be annoyed, driven all the way back home to run a familiar route, or drive somewhere else to run on a bike/run trail.
When we are faced with a situation beyond our control, how we choose to accept that situation can determine not only the outcome of that particular moment but could shape the mood for rest of the day, or beyond. Turns out, I was tested several other times throughout the rest of the day and I let myself be reminded of that run, implementing that same mentality when dealing with those other situations, leaving me calm and open to whatever the situation may be. If we are dealing with a situation involving another person, how we choose to react to that person could have irreparable consequences, if we are not cautious.
Take a pause, a deep breath, and ask yourself, “what can I control in this situation,” then spend your energy focusing on that and not on what you cannot control. Chances are, you may find yourself all the more happy.
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