Have a nice trip

There was a time that I wanted to believe that I only had to learn a lesson one time.  After I had mastered it - whatever 'it' was - I could wipe my hands of it and move on.  If only life worked that way!  I am reminded once again that part of the human journey is to trip and fall, often times tripping over the same old things, getting up, dusting yourself off, and continuing on.  However, it's what you do once you get up that determines whether or not you will trip again - or, if tripping is inevitable, how hard you will fall the next time you trip.

We always have choices in the way we respond to life.  We like to pretend that we have some control over the way events unfold, but most often, that is not the case.  As I'm reading now in The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer, life is constantly happening, regardless of what we think about it, how we choose to show up, and whether we like it or not. 

That being said, life basically boils down to three choices: 1) accept circumstances with gratitude; 2) reject circumstances, yet do nothing; 3) reject circumstances and work to change them.  So, when we trip and fall, we can:

• Curse whatever caused us to fall, without being present to the fact that we can make a different choice going forward, and wait till we inevitably trip over it again
• Curse whatever caused us to fall, and try a new approach going forward to help avoid tripping again
• Bless whatever caused us to fall as necessary for our growth, and try a new approach going forward to help avoid tripping again

I'm not implying that this is easy, but I am saying that the choice is always ours, and ours alone.

I have been through many ups and downs, like everyone else on the planet, and I naively (or egotistically) thought that once I had conquered my inner demons, I was done and would live a blissful, enlightened life from there on out.  (Feel free to laugh out loud on that one!)  Not that I haven't been making continual effort to grow and improve - I have - yet I failed to acknowledge that my patterns and beliefs were implanted a very long time ago, and very firmly.  Without deliberate attention, it's very easy for these old ways of being to creep back into our daily routines, just like weeds take over a garden without constant care.

For me, it played out like this: stressful, demanding job led to long hours, which led to self-neglect.  Good eating and exercise habits fell to the wayside, peace of mind gone like the wind.  Dis-ease, unhappiness, lack of gratitude and fulfillment took the place of confidence, happiness, trust that life is unfolding for my highest good.

I'm at a crossroads (again!), where I can accept my circumstances as they are, thank them for reminding me of what is truly important, forgive myself for being human and tripping, and redirect my actions right here and right now.  Or I can curse myself, curse my circumstances, and continue to live a miserable, unfulfilled life.

I choose the high road, please, with gratitude to God for reminding me that I always have a choice, that anything worth having takes time and daily commitment to achieving, and for the fact that I am not alone on this journey.   I would like to renew my vows to myself that I will very intentionally nourish myself by:

• Living a healthy lifestyle
• Getting enough sleep
• Filling my mind with positive thoughts and ideas
• Unplugging from TV, Facebook, other electronic distractions
• Meditating to reconnect with my essence and true passions
• Saying no when necessary
• Spending as much time as practical in ways that bring me joy
• Forgiving myself when I trip and loving myself wholly and completely

It's not over till it's over...so until that day comes, be kind to yourself when you trip and fall, be intentional about the steps you take, and keep moving forward.