I used to wear a necklace with the word “downstream” stamped onto a pendant to remind me to go with the flow, and stop fighting imaginary currents. I say imaginary currents because I waste a disproportionate amount of time worrying and stressing about the future, as opposed to the actualities of my life that merit intervention.
Regardless of external or internal challenges, sometimes I can tell my brain to pull my legs up into my innertube and coast downstream on the lazy river of actual life happening on its own terms, and sometimes my legs keep kicking anyway, getting me nowhere but exhaustion.
Often I also need to change up my metaphors. A good metaphor can change the settings of my brain and my whole day. As I learn the same lessons over and over again every day of my very good life, the keys to unlocking uncomfortable habits or stuck patterns change periodically and I go in search of new metaphors or mantras.
Last night, I read from my favorite head-fixer Melody Beattie’s More Language of Letting Go about letting go of arrogance and receiving the blessings that humility brings. I decided to stop searching for the keys and simply try the door.
Oh. Guess what? It’s been open the whole time, and today waits for me. Okay so I’m tired and a little flu-ish, but I think I’ll go inside today and hang out. Think I’ll go hang my jacket in the closet and put on a cardigan and switch my loafers for sneakers like Mr. Rogers (then I should probably get dressed and go to my appointment, but that’s later today).
There. Weird. I feel better.
Instead of trying to figure out answers or look for solutions for things that probably don’t need fixing anyway, maybe just open the door and greet your actual today, with all its crooked lines and off-color confetti.
This post is part of #30BrighterDays; a thing I made up to brighten each day of November