Given the unpredictability of the lives we all live perhaps the most difficult task we will ever face is converting theory into practice. We think we know but proof comes though testing. We believe we understand until we are challenged.
Even the most organised among us will be sucker-punched from time to time because of the random nature of our surroundings. Grand plans can be reduced to rubble in an instant, dreams can be shattered in the blink of an eye. It’s what we do next that is of vital importance.
The immediate reaction to a shock, a tragedy or a setback is a mixture of the emotional and the practical. Both are important. Both will lead us back to a state of equilibrium, balance and clarity. But it will take time and effort.
When what we have thought about as an extreme possibility becomes what we are living we are faced with choices. A setback does not have to become a defeat; a disappointment an attitude; a sadness a depression. While it may be a struggle to regain control the effort becomes its own reward.
Preparation is important. Naivety makes for a very poor excuse. Expecting the unexpected can become all-consuming and rob us of the pleasure of life. We should recognise and avoid extremes while accepting the inevitability of the unpleasant surprise.
We are not alone. No-one makes it through life unscathed but it is possible to remain intact. Battered and bruised is not beaten.
It’s important to learn the lessons of our own life to avoid the damage of repeated mistakes. It’s just as important to realise that we will be caught unawares by circumstances and events outside our control. The better we know and love ourselves, the more equipped we will be to cope.
Start now. Don’t stop.
Gary Bentley Counselling 