When Things Don’t Go Your Way Consider A Shift In Perspective
John Lennon said, “Life is what happens to you, while you’re busy making other plans”. We are always making something, aren’t we? We make appointments. We make dinner. We make love. We make a house a home. We make babies. We make time. We make friends and we make coffee. In every moment, with every breath, we make decisions that make our life. We make plans and then God laughs, as the saying goes. And then sometimes, we have to make a U-Turn. This can be an opportunity for a shift in perspective.
What do we do when the expectations we have for the things we are making, don’t go the way we planned?
In that precious moment, we are again invited to make a choice. We can choose to get angry, we can try and force our way into something or we can take a cue from the universe and perhaps allow ourselves to be redirected. I call this following the flow. Falling in step with life, whatever life has for me. If it’s something I feel inspired about having or creating in my life, I’ve learned to interpret this redirection not as the universe saying “no”, only that it may be saying, “not this way.”
Does this lead to disappointment or feeling badly that things aren’t going my way? Sometimes it does. And, the older (and wiser) I get, I have discovered that my happiness and feeling good doesn’t really come from things outside of me. It comes from inside of me. I get choose if I’m happy or sad based on the stories I tell myself and the meaning I attach to things. I also believe that at every moment, I am exactly where I am supposed to be, and life is always teaching me. When things I am trying to make work – don’t, I believe everything happens for a reason. I believe the universe is giving me a cosmic redirect. What is also helpful is I feel grateful believing I was just spared from loss or aggravation or something I may never know about – and never need to.
As the universe is comprised of this everywhere present energetic intelligence, and I am only a part of that, I believe the universe is smarter than me. Therefore; while I don’t always take direction well, I do listen carefully to how the universe is guiding me. Holding this perspective, I am making an empowered choice in seeing the world this way.
This grounds me, not as a victim of life’s circumstances, but a willing participant to engage with what life is showing me, where life is taking me, what life is making with me. And, when I am in cooperation with that, I experience flow and grace and ease. We often spend a lot of time rowing our boat against the tide. Can you shift your perspective in not always getting what you want? What if you threw the orr’s over the side of the boat and let yourself float… gently down the stream?
If you can shift your perspective around what feels like a wrong turn, it may give you an awesome sense of direction to open yourself to what life is showing you.
For an upcoming opportunity to shift your perspective, check out my free mini course on empowering yourself to transform problems into possibilities. Further, if it can support you right now, check out a a complimentary clarity session with me to see how personal coaching can support you right now. Just email donna@donnabond.com to find out more.
Donna Bond, M.A. is a professional life and business coach, spiritual advisor and inspirational speaker. Her work centers on serving transformation of consciousness. Assisting individuals and businesses to live into the full potential of their lives, from the inside out. A graduate of the University of Santa Monica, Donna offers inspiring workshops and transformative in-depth coaching programs and women’s retreat.