The past 18 months have been a lesson in patience.
Waiting for things to fall into place, to resolve themselves.
Waiting on the outcomes of other people's decisions or actions that affect me and my plans.
Waiting and working towards building savings, investments and paying off debt.
Waiting to see how our two adolescent rescue dogs settle in, respond to training and mature.
Patience has never been my strong suit. As usual I find myself vacillating between extremes: am I expecting too much of the dogs, other people, the universe? Or should they really be further along by now and is this a reflection of my own suckiness? What is simply a work in progress, what will always be in flux, what is yet to come and what is just never meant to be?
Perhaps the best question is in fact: can I ever just sit back, stop thinking and enjoy the ride? Time has shown this just isn't in my nature, so while I can try to keep it in check, I'm always going to be a worrier.
Especially when it comes to the living things in my care. Do those wilting herbs need more or less water? Why did that egg have a dent in it? What's up with that paw?
Focusing on my locus of control
I can recite that old saying a million times:
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.Actually letting go of the things I cannot control is not something I've really nailed. However, I'm getting closer and closer.
On the one hand, letting go of things is frustrating; it feels like admitting defeat. On the other, it is just about the most freeing feeling on earth.
Setting boundaries
As I said above, letting go can feel like giving up. But it doesn't double as an excuse for sitting back and simply throwing up your hands. Nor does it mean letting others take advantage of you along the way and dictate your path.
That's where boundaries come in. They are so crucial. For me, learning to let go goes hand in hand with knowing and setting limits for yourself. Otherwise it's easy to drift, be swept away, get lost and wonder how you ended up nowhere. Sticking to healthy boundaries is vital to my self care.
It's been so long since I kept a journal. I switched to writing songs, and then this blog. Next year I want to return to paper. Record small wins, track bigger projects, scribble down ideas and goals and dreams and the things I'm grateful for on a regular basis.
