Today I was prepared for a busy day at work. I had all the things set up, the appointments scheduled and I was ready to go! But then, I got several cancellations and my busy day at work suddenly became a slow day at work. I don’t know about you but I like to stay busy because when I’m busy the anxious and worried thoughts don’t have time to bug me. I mean they’re still there, but if I move fast enough I can outsmart them and they stay mostly quiet.

So here I am on the busy day that has turned into a slow day. And the anxiety starts to creep in. I start thinking things like, “is this it? The beginning of the end? What if my phone never rings again? What if I don’t get new clients ever? What if nobody wants therapy anymore?”

As I was trying to wrangle in these anxious, irrational and sometimes downright ridiculous thoughts, something occurred to me. I have a to-do list that’s fairly long. And there have been other days that I would have been glad to have a slower and less hectic kind of a day. What’s making it so hard for me to shift gears and enjoy the fact that today I actually have time to get those things done?

An image came into my head of going on vacation. Maybe I’ve planned a mountain vacation and I’m looking forward to hiking and a picnic and sunbathing. But one morning I wake up and I see that it’s pouring rain. I could decide to forget the whole thing. I planned for sun and hikes and now it’s raining! I guess I’d better go home! I mean, I didn’t even pack an umbrella let alone a rain jacket! That’s it! Vacation is ruined. I’m going home.

…or, do I take a moment to be sad that my plans now have to be changed (if not cancelled) and see what else I can do instead? Can I have that picnic on the porch and enjoy the sound of the rain while I stay warm and dry? Do I light a fire and read a book? Hey, maybe I can even go to the store and buy a rain jacket and an umbrella and play outside in the rain!

True, it’s not what I planned for or the way I thought it would turn out. But I know that sometimes in the dead of summer I’d give anything for a rainstorm to cut the heat a little bit. And on my crazy busy weeks at work I often think how nice it would be to have a chance to catch up on all of those things I’m behind on.

No matter what twists and turns your life offers you, your ability to be adaptable and flexible will help you to stay open to all of the hidden gifts that difficulty may offer.

Mandy Ingber

Today I planned for a busy day…but it didn’t work out that way. Maybe I was mentally prepared for a different type of day. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t take this opportunity to learn how to shift my mindset and appreciate the day that I’ve been given. Maybe this is the perfect time for me to do some shopping, do some bookkeeping, or listen to an audio book. It’s for sure the perfect time to practice being…

flexible

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