Life Ain't What I Planned, But its Still Pretty Good

Perspective Gained from a Sore Knee

As we wander down life's twisting path, inevitably we face changes. We all encounter injuries, divorces, births, deaths, lay offs, or new jobs (as I discovered at my High School Reunion in July). These are common things that we all experience, yet they usually catch us off guard and can throw us for a loop.

I reflect on this because I injured my knee recently, and it will cause a change in my lifestyle. I'll have to give up playing tennis, which I have enjoyed  doing with my teenage boys. It looks like it's time to take up a new sport.

I also may have to reduce the distance on my long hikes that I like to take with my dog Blackie. But, we will just go on shorter hikes, or I will incorporate a bicycle into our outings.
                                                             

Blackie, the wonder dog

We don't always get what we want in life. Or in my case, I got something that I didn't want, in my injured knee. That may not be a bad thing. It's always healthy to have a broad perspective on things, and accept the new paths that present themselves.

We may slow down a little, or change what we do, but we keep on plowing ahead.

We Don't Control the Ending

Journalist, Judy Muller, in her book Now This says that, "the trick is never, ever, to assume you can dictate the ending -- to anything."

We always think that we will be happy when the "big thing" happens to rocket us to fame and fortune.But, the big thing never happens. As Muller says, it's the "little things" that happen, "the moments in the here-and-now that make up the rich stuff of life."

In those situations, we don't control what happens, but we can more fully grasp the braoder implications, by being both a participant and an outside observer, of what happens.

If One Point of View is Good, Two Points of View Are Better

I recall an early episode of Star Trek where the Enterprise is being attacked and Mr. Spock, the half-Vulcan - half human, Science Officer, observes the strange life form in the alien ship. Everyone else is in panic mode because of the attack.

However, Mr. Spock looks at the alien and famously utters the word, "fascinating," because he is a participant in the battle, but also he is an outside observer viewing it from a dispassionate perspective. He sees what's unfolding from two points of view at once.

We may never dictate the ending to our experiences, but we can be fully conscious of the moment, and that's its own reward.

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Check out the new Amazon review of Carve Out Your Niche:

WHAT A HELPFUL AND PLEASING WORK THIS IS....CHUCKED FULL OF WISDOM AND GOOD ADVICE

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