Throughout my life I have been blessed with a good sense of direction when driving. Over the years, in helping my bride with directions she sometimes gets frustrated when they would change from the way she thought we went the last time. My simple answer every time is that “there is always more than one way to get there”.
Think closely at the times in your life when you were really struggling (we all have had them). How hard we tried to find “the answer”. How disappointed we were that our struggle only led to frustration because we couldn’t seem to find anything that would help us or change our situation.
What I have found helpful is to not look for an answer but to look for more than one option that MIGHT work. Do nothing and let time pass could be an option. Do “this” but not “that” could possibly work. If I can’t talk to this person, who else can I talk to? I can’t quite solve what I am faced with but I can make things a little bit better by doing Y or Q or C. Remember, there is always more than one way to get there.
We give ourselves too much credit that we always know what to do and we place too much blame on others and “life” when we are so certain that what we chose to do will work and doesn’t.
We have to understand and be comfortable with the fact that we will not always decide right. We will fail at times. We have to understand that most times “there is no right answer”. There never will be. There never was.
We have to understand that all we have are possibilities and that the key to movement in your life to change or expand your life begins by finding different options and ways to overcome our struggles or boring routines. One option may work better than another. We won’t know this until we try and pay attention to what happens.
People blame others and “life” often when things fail to change. This attitude will always crush you or them. They(you) will continually be stuck and only have themselves(yourself) to blame. Disconnecting from a situation or a friend or a relationship may ultimately be the only effective option. Unpleasant? Yes, but still an option. You do have some control in almost all situations. It just depends on what option you choose to try.
We are ALWAYS at the center of
who we are, where we are, and what we are in.
(This took me a long time to come to this understanding.
Please stop, re-read and reflect on the above line in bold print.)
We are responsible for our own lives and the outcomes in our life. No one else is.
Options can bring us excitement, possibility and hope
that somehow we “will breakthrough”.
Options nurture and strengthen our desire to overcome.
Options never trap us.
They keep us agile, flexible, and hopeful when we are most confused.
Be patient but be resourceful. Stay open to new ideas, new people, new learning that will help you uncover new options for whatever you are stuck on, faced with, or want to change.
Work hard to build a certain strength that many would describe as resilience, of not tiring, of continuing to seek, learn, then try, see what happens, adjust, and try again until you breakthrough.
Make options your lifelong friend.
Make finding them your passion!