2012 Resolution #7 - Expect the Unexpected
Posted on January 07, 2012 by Maria McInnis, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
#7 in our Resolution Series, today written by my husband David on how to overcome the unexpected turns in life.
Resolve to allow yourself to expect the unexpected, and dare to meet it head-on.
A single moment can change your life forever; for better or for worse. Life is a constantly changing series of seemingly random events, and the real challenge is not only how we chose to deal with the unexpected circumstances that appear, but also how we let them change our future. Many people will agree that there is a need to feel in control of our lives. Some even try to control the moments when they must let go of the controls, and hand their lives over to the thrill of letting risks take them for a ride. The ironic thing is that even the choice to let go of control is really just another way to keep life in control.
“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” – Rush
Who would go skydiving if they honestly believed that their parachute was not going to deploy the moment they take control and pull the cord? How many would do it if they didn’t have the assurance that they will come down gently and safely to the ground?
Sometimes when we pull life’s rip cord it seems like there is no soft landing ahead, and we are plummeting downward to a very big, very unexpected reality that we do not want to face. In these moments we can continue to fall deeper into the feeling of helplessness that the unexpected can bring, or we can expect the unexpected, and plan to deal with whatever life throws at us.
I had just such a moment: One of those moments when time both stops, and passes so quickly that you no longer sure if you took in more of your surroundings, or less. It went something like: step… ice… sky… thud… ground.
Before I had time to realize what had happened a cold day, and a poor landing, completely changed my path in life. A few blurry painkiller filled weeks later, and I realized that my now very angry back was not going to let me continue with my plan. You know the one you have in your head in which everything goes right?
It took over a year before I realized that I had to make a big change to that plan, which I thought had been so well thought out. It took significantly longer to realize that I had every tool that I needed to continue with a new plan- a better plan – instead of fighting against the tide. Instead I had to move with it.
“Destiny turns on a dime.” – Pam Tillis
From personal experience I know that the unexpected can either be feared, or embraced. If you are willing to adapt to the curves in the road then you will never wonder where you’re; going only how much you can enjoy the journey. It may seem a strange to say that one needs to expect the unexpected, mainly because if you could, then it wouldn’t be unexpected at all. We can’t plan for every seemingly random event in our lives, but we can look forward and see ourselves in the future being unshaken, bending like a willow to move in whichever direction the winds of change blow.
Anyone can realize their own ability to laugh at adversity, and to seize it as opportunity rather then defeat. We’ve said many times that one of the only constants in anyone’s life is change – something most of us try to dig our heels in and push back against. That is why when it comes in the form of a surprise, we need to make a choice.
Of course, not all surprises are bad. I am sure that we all can think back and remember a time we received a gift, or bumped into an old friend we hadn’t expected to see. In those moments we usually find ourselves effortlessly going with the flow of good experiences. What we really need to ask is how much more easily can we go with the flow of all things in life and make the unexpected work for us when it happens?
Take the time to ask yourself when it was that you last had some challenge – big or small – in your life? One that you completely turned in your favor.
How did it feel? What did you do? How can you draw on these kinds of experiences to better face the challenges in your future? Just how much can you allow yourself to let your own unexpected abilities help you to face life, and use your potential to win out against the odds?
I expect that if you really move with life, instead of pushing through it, you will surprise yourself with a richer and more rewarding future: One that is as as fulfilling as it is unexpected.
