Monday, March 26, 2012

Ever notice how things you might have previously resisted learning about can suddenly become appealing or necessary?  How, given the right time and space, you become “enlightened?” 

There are times when one’s mood can affect this.  When a person’s in a darker mental state, it can be hard to see the potential or need to move forward.  Likewise, when someone is overjoyed, it can sometimes prove a struggle to contain one’s enthusiasm long enough to make the right decisions.

So…if it’s hard to identify what we need to learn in order to progress when we’re sad or over-enthused, then how does one recognize opportunities to educate themselves?  Wish there was an easy answer.  One that would prove flawless in every situation.  But, as emotionally driven individuals, each comprised of an intricate network of past experiences, old scars and inhibitions, there is no clear-cut way to address this.  All I can offer is what I do.

When I find myself feeling down in the dumps, the universe’s “ceiling” oppressively closing in on me, I try to take a step back and identify what’s got me down.  By doing so, I shed, or at the very least, loosen the constrictive binds that hold me down, limiting my ability to see potential.  Doesn’t mean that I suddenly feel better with dawning blue skies and tiny birds twittering about.  Takes time to work through one’s emotions.  But I do gain hope.  And through that hope, I’m able to want to move forward.

Similarly, when I’m so excited about life that nothing seems like it could go wrong, I have to force myself to put on the breaks, just a bit, when faced with making decisions that could have lasting results.  You know the saying: only fools rush in….  Well…not wanting to be a fool, I like to surmise a situation or potential prospect from all angles so I can identify if there are any flaws that would make my rushing in result in shortsightedness. 

By becoming familiar with my various emotional states, I’m better equipped to navigate through them with as little collateral damage as possible.  And, once thinking in a clearer, I’m then able to reflect on opportunities that may have been presented earlier, but that I opted to resist due to whatever I was feeling at the time.  It’s all about the timing….