Originally published February 3, 2020
Welcome back!
I had a situation come up this week that prompted this topic.
I was expecting to take a trip and was super excited to connect with some family members over a well deserved week of vacation next month. I had been planning this with much vigor and lots of expectations over the last few weeks. As the date was approaching, more plans and excitement crept in … I could hardly wait. However, I decided to confirm one more time over the past weekend and I learned that something had come up on the other end which would shorten my visit or end the trip altogether. I felt completely heartbroken which is when I started on the path of what the heck? Seriously? This is BS! Pointing fingers and getting angry, blubbering about it just wasn’t going to get me through this. But I knew I had to have my little pity party, not live there, but simply feel it and eventually move on. Well in that party I learned something about myself.
Knowing the circumstances on why the confirmation came too late or why something else came up was actually within my control. I started to think about the I should have, could have, would haves that were lost. I should have confirmed earlier, why couldn’t there have been a call to me…. It was here that I discovered some self-awareness about the situation.
‘Self-awareness allows people to recognize what things they do best so they can then go hard on those aspects of their life. It also helps us accept our weaknesses’.
So seeing myself in this little tirade, tantrum was really humbling. I was able to see the truth for what it was. If i had such awareness about what was going on on the other side, why didn’t I have a plan to make sure my weekend would be a go? Was I waiting for someone else to confirm my plans? Did I want someone to inquire if I was still coming? Was I feeling like I wanted my family members to have as much excitement as I did for my visit? Was this only important to me? Great questions right?
Here’s what I came up with, I was feeling slighted, disappointed and hurt. Within that hurt I wanted to lash out and blame someone else. Have you ever felt that way? Instead I see that there were things within my reach that I could have done and there are still things I can do.
The trip is not a complete write off. I can just choose to do the trip a little differently. I can choose to go a different time, shorten the trip and do something else during my vacation week. I have options. So I put away the tissue, stopped the stomping around and now choose to do it differently. This is the moment I can decide to accept my shortcomings and bet entirely on my strengths, things will then change. Now, my trip has taken on a whole new excited turn.
“The process of forcing yourself to be self-aware requires drinking a s*itload of humble Kool-aid” – Gary Vaynerchuck.
If we know who we are, we can grow who we are. Do you know who you are? Are you showing your Truest Reflection?
Namaste.
