THAT THING WE THINK WILL BE THE SOLUTION to what ails us – it might not be the SOLE answer.
How many of us think – if only I could…
~ Meditate everyday, do that yoga challenge, or exercise a certain amount or at a certain time per day,
~ Give up sugar or chocolate or [something else],
~ Get that one healing or therapy session of a certain type,
~ Get the dream job or take that specific course and get a certification,
~ Do/get/stop [that one thing you identify as the thing that’ll be the solution]
…I’d finally feel better and get to the point I want to get to. ??
Don’t get me wrong – if you feel called to do any of these things above it might make a big difference, and it would likely be a healthy shift for any of us.
It might even be the missing piece we seek.
But it’s likely to be ONE PIECE OF A MULTI-PIECE PUZZLE. There might even be other pieces that fit the same spot, that look a little different, but we’ve dismissed them.
We often ‘hang our hat’ on a singular thing to ‘save’ us, and hold expectations of results and miraculous improvement from that single action or practice.
But when we hold on tight to one thing being the solution, we run the risk of feeling deflated or discouraged that our ‘solution’ is moving further out of reach if we don’t do it or finish it – whatever the reason or case may be.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH keeping to new routines and changes, and who frequently feel discouraged when they don’t keep them up or follow-through – try considering the following.
FEELING BETTER, FINDING PEACE, GETTING THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME is often the result of a combination of various – and possibly less disciplined or formal – pieces coming together.
~ We might not believe that the exercise or meditation we do infrequently is helpful – we think it needs to be frequent and routine to be of any value. Keep doing it occasionally and trust that there is still value in the infrequency.
~ We might think that reducing one of our vices, making an improvement in one area – is not enough, and that we need to make a monumental change. But there’s still value in the seemingly small wins and improvements.
~ We might think extreme discipline and big shifts are required, or that the solution involves much action. Meanwhile we downplay the comfort, inspiration and value we get from simple things – like communicating with friends, family and colleagues, sharing experiences and learning from them.
~ We might not realize that something we’re already doing is part of the solution. The pieces are already coming together and we need not make a monumental change in our practice at all – it’s just taking time for everything to fall into place.
Every situation and life experience is different, and sometimes a big change is necessary – particularly if one aspect of our life is very unhealthy.
But in many cases, we are harder on ourselves than we need to be – thinking that discipline is the answer when really it’s a recipe for more discouragement.
Inviting you to be open to the possibility that a combination of gentler actions, rather than extreme discipline or absolutes, might be all that’s required right now to help you find the answers you seek. ❤
(Photo by Dmitry Demidov, pexels(dot)com)