Happy Monday, or whatever Monday you choose.
Sometimes, Mondays earn their bad reputation. Perhaps you are waking up today and having to face the consequences of your choices. Maybe there is guilt, maybe there is regret. Sometimes even doing the right thing comes with a cost. Many of us are trying to reach a specific goal. There is probably the temptation to take a shortcut or perhaps to bend the rules. Will it be worth it? Will you be proud of the person staring back at you in the mirror? Or if you already made a decision you regret are you willing to face the music? If you were not caught, will you be honest with yourself and think about how you got to that point in your life? Could you have done it differently?
But, and there is always a but – is it really over? I have made many poor decisions in my life that I regret. The only ones that leave me alone are the ones that I have owned up to, and either made it right, apologized, or learned. The past cannot be undone. The unfinished business from your past can keep you from being able to move forward. Are your old patterns keeping you in place? No need for despair. Even a small step can put you on the road to significant change. Are you ready to make a slight adjustment? Are you willing to override your default program? Is living in the past getting you anywhere?
Looking at our lives through rose-colored glasses is easy. We do have much for which to be grateful. Emotional connections can be an excellent source of strength and give us the courage to explore the more unpleasant aspects of our lives. I am an eternal Pollyanna, but sometimes I have to face facts. Hope can only get you so far. You have to put in the work. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself that your dreams have not come through, think about the ones that have. What small victories have you scored? How did you do that? Can you do it again? Focus on what you do have and use that as a foundation to get to the next level.
What's next? Who is ever prepared for the rug being pulled out from under them? Shock and chaos do not have to be a bad thing. They can force you to think in new ways. You may have to rethink what you have taken for granted. All the structures and systems you have in place may all fall down. Life is full of the unexpected. You do not have to be helpless in the face of change. While you are doing all this reflecting, perhaps you should consider your plan B’s. Do you have an emergency plan? Have you set aside a rainy day fund? Do you have your emergency supplies prepared? As I write this, we are undergoing a Tropical Storm. Full disclosure, I am not as prepared as I would like to be. I am not going to wring my hands in despair. Now is a great time to let go of the things that no longer serve me and build something stronger from the ruins. Make that change.
