Put Things In Perspective

All right, so it may seem like the end of the world when your computer crashes and you have not backed up any of your massage client files. Or you get 3 no-shows in a row and rent is due tomorrow. And that IS a drag. However, in all probability this is not a life or death situation. When something really, really gets to you, stop for a moment and think about how important the situation will seem in a week, a month, or even a year from now.

More often than not we automatically go into “panic mode” before we have stepped back and assessed the reality of the situation. In retrospect, it is usually not as bad as we thought. And if it is, by giving ourselves some perspective we are better equipped to deal with it. And remember, this too will pass. Most of the things we get worked up about in life are just not worth the price that we pay.

My “thing” was that every time I was about to leave on a trip (and I travel quite a lot) I would get all stressed out about things that HAD to be done before I left. It got ridiculous. Things that had been on my “to do” list for months and months suddenly seemed absolutely critical. And I would get all worked up trying to get everything finished.

Then one day a supportive friend began at the top of my list and asked me very bluntly what would happen if each item did not get done. I squirmed a bit and got rather defensive, and tried to explain the dire consequences of each unfinished task. But the more she turned up the heat, the more I realized how ridiculous it was, and we both ended up in floods of laughter.

And my new mantra became, “If it doesn’t get done…… so what!”. (Actually these are not the exact words that I used, but you get the idea.) It was very liberating.

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