Tag Archives: Unexpected

Trains

16 Oct

Have you ever been in hurry to get somewhere and been stopped by a train?  Maybe you were stressed, running late, and then suddenly there was a train blocking your progress.  A train.  And not a short one either, but a train pulling 50 cars on it.  You couldn’t make it go faster, and you couldn’t cut in front of it, so you had to wait.  Maybe you sat there fuming, frustrated, and maddened that you had to sit when you had so much to get done.  But trains happen, and when they do, we have to wait.  When we’re in a hurry and are trying to catch up, having our progress stopped is discouraging, and can really knock the wind out of our sails.  It might be a train, but often it’s because of a decision someone else has made that prevents us from going forward.  When our hands are tied, and we have to wait, we could get upset or we could use the time more wisely.  We could take the extra time to think.

Thinking about what we’re doing is an excellent idea.  Some decisions pop into our heads with little thought or consideration.  Generally they are decisions without a significant consequence and mean little to our overall progression.  But for the decisions that impact our lives, our livelihoods, our families, or our futures, we need to think carefully before we act.  If we’ve made an important decision, and begin to implement it only to be stopped for reasons we can’t control, it’s a good time to re-evaluate what we’ve decided, and review our choices going forward.  Sometimes a second look brings clarification and a revised plan.  Sometimes the break changes our focus altogether.  The important thing is to use the time we’re stuck to ponder our way forward.  Instead of getting angry when we have to wait, we can look at it as a time out to reflect on our chosen path.

There are countless variables in every decision we make.  There is timing to be considered, the feelings of others, our personal comfort, and the destination we are seeking.  We sometimes make excellent decisions but they come at the wrong time in our lives and we have to rethink them.  Or we make what we believe is the best decision but once we begin going forward discover a lot of complications we hadn’t planned on.  Life is unpredictable, and no matter what we choose, there is a lot we can’t control.  We can’t control the choices of others, we can’t control unexpected developments, and usually, we can’t control trains.  Whether it’s a real train or a symbolic one, when they come into our lives, we have to wait.  We can make the wait count by using it to confirm our choices, and review our approach.  If we take the time and use it wisely, we may be surprised by what we find.

Today if you’re stuck and waiting because of something you can’t control, think about the path you’ve chosen and evaluate the decision again.  Is there a way to make it go more smoothly?  Is there something you can do that you didn’t see before?  Think about your next move and make it as productive as possible.  You’ve already determined what you want, and you are capable of making it happen.  Think clearly about your next step and when the time is right, take it.  You know where you’re going, and success is just around the corner.

Tags: , ,

Split Second

24 Jun

Some years ago during the summer, I was in Alaska, and had gone on a fishing charter in Cook Inlet. Although it was summer, it was cold, and I was dressed in jeans, sweatshirt, coat, and boots. As we were securing the boat to the pier at the end of the trip, it drifted outward, and I reached over the water to grab the line to pull it back. Unfortunately, I lost my balance, and fell into the harbor. The water there in the summer is very cold, and being dressed as I was, I sank like a stone. I immediately began trying to swim, but with everything I was wearing, it was very difficult. As I continued to fall downward I looked up at the surface of the water, and realized that because of how I was dressed, and the temperature of the water, I might lose my life. I remember feeling great regret that I had reached out so far, and risked so much. It was a foolish decision given the weather, and the situation. Thankfully, I was able to get back to the surface, and someone pulled me out. I was severely chilled, and had to get my wet clothes off as soon as possible to prevent hypothermia. It took lots of dry, warm clothes, several cups of hot chocolate, and the rest of the day before the shivering stopped. I was lucky things worked out, but I have never forgotten the lesson. One small decision, and in a split second, everything changed.

Our lives are tentative, and this life is unpredictable. There are no guarantees. We tend to forget this from time to time. We take for granted that we will survive today, and see tomorrow, but nothing is sure. Of course, we can’t worry about all the things that could go wrong or we’d never be able to live normally, so we go through our days counting on them being safe, and successful. But sometimes, things turn, and in an instant, everything changes. We can’t predict anything. What comes, comes. We go through our lives, we have our routines, and activities, and then the unexpected happens. Things get turned upside down, and for a while we lose our footing.

Sometimes unforeseen things happen because of decisions we make, like mine when I fell into the ice cold harbor. Sometimes they happen because of decisions out of our control. Much of what we experience in this life is out of our control, and when things come that topple us, wake us up, and make us realize again that nothing is guaranteed, it can shake us deeply. Our task then is to be as ready as we can, and do our best when things go awry.

Today if you’ve been rattled by something that has unsettled your life, something that has suddenly shaken you, you may be upset but you will get through it. If it’s extraordinarily difficult, reach out for help. Get the support you need to navigate the situation so you can feel as comfortable as possible. Get into your dry clothes, and stay warm. This will last for just a moment, and then things will settle again. You are resilient enough to weather this. Being upside down is uncomfortable, there is no doubt about that. But while you’re struggling to right yourself, you will find the strength you need. You are strong enough for this. You are strong enough for anything.

Tags: , ,