Contributor: Donna Marie
How often have you looked back at a situation that didn’t go your way and, with the benefit of hindsight, breathed a sigh of relief that it didn’t go the way you wanted?
I know I have, and I’m reminded of this truth constantly. Early in my career, I was working on an important project that required back-to-back sessions. When a winter storm threatened participation, I made the decision to reschedule. While inconvenient and annoying, I barely hesitated—there’s no bargaining with Mother Nature!
With the extra time between sessions, I had space to consider how I might add value to the process. I came up with a minor adjustment to the original plan. When I reconvened and implemented the new design, it led to exponentially better results—a totally unexpected silver lining that fulfilled my goals to an even greater degree.
This experience shifted something fundamental in how I viewed situations beyond my control.
Wouldn’t it be great if we treated all of life’s events like we do the weather?
When it comes to weather, we accept what shows up. We might complain a bit, but we make adjustments accordingly. Yet in other areas of life, we get stuck on the emotional roller coaster—happy when things work out as planned, frustrated and angry when they don’t.
Besides being an energy drain, pain and suffering result when we try to force-fit our desired outcomes onto events that are actually showing up. This is usually a practice in futility, and what we’re left with is a loss of Freedom.
How much easier would life be if we could accept unexpected situations with the same ease we accept weather conditions?
Next time a situation doesn’t go as planned, try thinking of it as you would a weather condition. Accept what life is presenting and move forward. John Lennon offers a perspective that helped me shift my attitude about acceptance: “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.”
When I embraced this philosophy, acceptance became easier. Accepting rather than resisting what’s happening in the moment allows us to see options we might not have considered. And when we have options, we experience Freedom!
Freedom through Acceptance
This is one of the core distinctions of The Freedom Zone—learning to break free from the limiting belief that life should always go according to our plans. When we discover this shift in perspective, we access the energy, vitality and joy available to us right now, no matter our situation.
Have you noticed how liberating it is to accept rather than resist? What unexpected “silver linings” have emerged when you’ve let go of forcing outcomes?
Want more of these life-changing insights? The Freedom Zone book has been out of print, but I’m working on a downloadable version to make these powerful distinctions available to everyone who’s ready for greater freedom. [Get on the list] to be first to know when it’s ready!