Our dreams and goals belong to us. It’s important to recognize, on the journey we’ll be offered opportunities to show ourselves that we are committed….
I decided at the end of last year to be more committed to our wellness. I decided to stop buying certain go-to snacks and sweets so that they weren’t easily accessible when cravings occurred. I went the extra distance to express to the members of my household not to offer those items because they work against my intentions and it’ll be hard to say, “No.”
So I was initially perturbed when this person offered a tasty, high calorie treat in front of my child. The old me—as in, the last week version of me—would have been silently annoyed, possibly expressed a fraction of my displeasure, then conceded, saying something like, “Fine. We’ll start again next week.” Not, today.
I kindly (picture Claire Huxtable) reminded this individual of the request I made less than 10 days ago, for them to not offer sweets as they work against our wellness goals. I resisted the urge to feel guilty for declining their offer, and insisted that they put it back where they found it.
After the interaction, I was pissed. It kept playing over in my mind. I found myself questioning why they would work against me, and why they couldn’t support my intentions for our betterment. Then, I thought about my post yesterday. “When we let go of the disappointment of people not being who we designed them to be in our minds, we can appreciate them for who they are.” I realized that they weren’t attempting to sabotage my wellness plans, they were just being themselves. In their mind, the offer was kind. They found something they thought we’d like and in the past that would bring us joy. I realized that I didn’t have anything to be mad about. Actually, they gave me an opportunity to practice my commitment.
For some reason I can never remember which spiritual leader I heard say this. I feel like they were a well-known Buddhist monk. I just remember (and I’ve told this story before) that when they were asked if they ever get angry, they laughed and said something like, “Of course.” The only difference for them is that they are committed to returning to that place of peace, so they choose to say, “Thank you for the opportunity to practice.”
It’s such a beautiful thing to realize in any given moment, we can regain control of how we respond. We can shift our perspective, on any situation—when we are ready to feel differently. We can stay true to our intentions, look at all forms of contrast, and say, “Thank you for the opportunity to practice.”
Try it. It really works.
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