Some of you already know this, as I declared it the other day on social media. But there was more to the story, so bear with me if you have heard this tale recently.
There is a moral, and a test after (no worries, I am just joking about the moral).
So I bought a lovely pair of running shoes just the other day. I’m not Imelda Marcos by any means when it comes to shoe addiction, but I do love nice shoes.
The next morning I grabbed Bubs, strapped her into the racing push-chair, laced up my new shoes, and headed out on a run. I’d read the reviews, and they were glowing. These shoes were fast. I was excited.
And you know what?
My 45 minute loop took a whole minute longer.
What is that about? Do you think I should complain to Nike about it?
A whole minute slower. Clearly there is something wrong with my shoes.
I hear you guffaw, I hear you snigger at my misplaced blame – BUT that’s how we live big chunks of our lives.
It is a lesson in looking for satisfaction in the things we consume.
The expectations we make up in our heads about everything mean nothing can possibly live up to those standards. (While we’re here: take a moment to spare a thought for our poor loved ones – they’re the ones who have to live with, and manage those expectations!)
The main thing though is this:
We will blame anything and anyone for the things we are actually fully in charge of. It can be so much easier to point the finger than take responsibility. It can be easier to whine than actually do something different.
Was it the shoes, or was it the fact that I just didn’t put one foot in front of the other fast enough?
I think we all know the answer to that.
And if we dig deeper we can see that there is a point where pies stop being necessary fuel for the machine and start being ballast. Unfortunately, with pies that critical point comes far too soon for my mouth.
You know?
One of the boldest things you can do is claim responsibility for every single part of your life.
For all of it, even the things you have no control over.
“Wha?!” I hear you say, (or maybe all this hearing is the voices in my own head). Obviously there are things that you have no control over, so why take responsibility for them?
You can always control your reaction to everything and anything. And yes, while we all have habits and programmes of reacting, you can LEARN how to freely control your reactions, IF you want to.
The great thing is that when you take responsibility you end the whining and moaning and head straight to “what can I do about it?”
Acceptance and letting go and alternative action/reaction comes soooooo much quicker.
And that gives peace of mind and clarity. Which, if I could bottle it, would make me a zillionaire.
You stop giving mental space away to things that actually, truly, bog you down. Life gets exciting too – because it’s no longer up to anyone else. It’s up to you!
So: if you are brave, put your hand on your heart (if you have one, I don’t want to be heartist) and make a solemn oath. Take full responsibility for your life. For all of it.
The only cost is whining and whinging and moaning and blaming and complaining. Which – I need to warn you, you may find are surprisingly addictive.
Go well!
Arjuna
PS.
You might want to consider coming along to the Bright Path Ishayas’ Ascension First Sphere course that I’m holding here soon.
Remember, if you’ve learnt, you can repeat the weekend anywhere for free for the rest of your life. And there’s full board at the venue available, so you can turn the course into a retreat. Awesome!
Here’s the link:
https://www.thebrightpath.com/course/first-sphere-mini-retreat-option-united-kingdom-richmond-north-yorkshire-1
Do you like shoes too?