We have a lot of expectations in our lives. We expect
certain things out of our spouses, our children, our friendships, and our
churches. We have been groomed to expect
certain things for ourselves.
We can get so very tense when anything goes slightly
different than our “plan.” As parents, we can get irritated and frustrated
quickly when our children slow us down, spit up all over their clean outfit, or
do anything that deviates from the schedule we’d laid out in our heads.
We get in a hissy fit when our church changes the style of
music it plays or drops a program from the schedule. Likewise, we put a lot of
demands on our friendships and relationships.
There are certain
codes of conduct that should always be maintained in life. Honesty, respect,
compassion, courtesy. But sometimes the plain and simple fact is that we are
too uptight. We’d enjoy people and
circumstances so much better if we could simply learn to relax! Flexibility is a great trait and it
serves us well in life because we can adapt to situations much better. And life
is all about throwing adventures and curve balls our way!
If we can talk to ourselves internally and prepare ourselves
to handle things that may be out of our control, we will have a better outlook
and attitude when they occur. We cannot control everything in our environment.
In fact, we are lucky if we can control a few things in our environment. Our
stresses and frustrations will ease off of our shoulders if we can relax more
often and let ourselves accept those inconveniences and issues that aren’t in
our “plan.” Oftentimes, great lessons and
moments are to be found in the unplanned!
I know when I decide ahead of time to make the choice to
have a flexible and relaxed attitude, I enjoy things much more. I can laugh
easier, smile more, and realize that sometimes I pick battles where battles
should not be picked.
In short, I’m happier
when I lay my pride and my “demands” to the side and let life just naturally
happen.
Being and feeling
internally relaxed is more about a choice of the heart than it is about an
outward appearance. It’s simply about being bendable, workable, and
adaptable. I want those qualities
to be said about me. How about you?
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