The Art of Letting Things Happen

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We’ve all had great days when we felt on top of the world. We’ve also had those not-so-great days when we felt like curling into a ball and disconnecting from the world.  What kind of person are you when faced with challenging situations?  Does adversity stop you in your tracks or are you able to approach every situation acknowledging there is something to be learned? It is easy to appear confident and collected in times of ease; the challenge is to maintain this character in times of difficulty.

 Bad things are going to happen…  that’s just the way life goes. Situations beyond our control will present themselves in varying magnitudes. What we are able to control is our individual response to the situation. Let us first discuss the difference between a reaction and a response.

  In a stress reaction we react habitually and automatically to a situation. We aren’t aware of what we’re doing, similar to a knee jerk reaction. Alternately, in a stress response you have given yourself a few seconds to stop, become conscious of the situation, and choose how you want to respond.

  In an earlier blog, “Can’t Help But Smile,” I discussed a day in which I received a parking ticket and chose to look at the situation as an opportunity for growth; a lesson learned.  Many people in the same predicament would have exhibited anger or frustration.  Remember, energy is contagious. Walk around with frustration or anger and see if things get better.  People around you will either take on your frustration or avoid you altogether.

Rather, practice the art of letting things happen.  Understand that there are good and bad circumstances that will arise on any given day.  Let them happen, without attachment, and respond to them appropriately. Too often we worry about that which we cannot change.  Something that can always be changed is our response. Just giving yourself those few seconds of awareness changes the situation into one in which you have more influence and control.

Bring awareness to your thoughts and feelings, practice non-attachment and in the wise words of John Lennon, “Let it Be.” 

 

-Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow-

 

Mike Sherbakov, CSCS, CPT

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