Following The “What Ifs” . . . April 17, 2017
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Less IS More, Life Balance, Mindfulness.trackback
Life is all about following the “what ifs” . . . isn’t it?
What if I moved away from crowds, noise, and congestion toward silence, serenity, and solitude?
What if I moved away from cold cloudy days toward warm tropical breezes under bright blue skies?
What if I moved away from perpetual busyness toward simplicity?
What if I ignored the yipping of border collies trying to keep me in line and steered my own ship following the call of my inner voice?
For some, drifting with the tides holds no appeal. To them, my decision to “go with the flow”~ to rise and fall with the ebb and flow of life ~ sounds dull.
For me, it’s perfect.
Time to pause and reflect, to read and write, to pursue things that interest me without concern about accolades, awards, achievement, or recognition in the eyes of others.
Instead of being nervous or anxious about meeting external expectations, I am relaxed as I flow from one activity to the next.
Instead of acting with deference to the judgments of others, I happily assert my independence.
Instead of settling for societal mandates and consensus, I persist with what matters to me.
Instead of dreading the dawning of the day, I’m excited to be awake and aware of the infinite possibilities around.
Instead of being stuck like a square peg in a round hole, I can enjoy each custom-made niche.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Next up: Thoreau had the write idea when he penned Walden.
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Spirit Lights The Way 
Monday mornings are the time when plans for the week start to materialize … whether we intend it to or not. For those of us who tend to be control freaks, your approach allows for free spirit and spontaneity. Sounds like a great way to go 🙂
Happy Monday!
Perhaps I’m a different version of “control freak” . . . I definitely like to steer my own shoes! 😀
Sounds like a plan! 🙂
Yes . . . the “no plan” plan!
Playing the “What if” game is always fun, in real life and that of our characters.
Especially with our characters . . . since any missteps they make can be rectified with a few key strokes.
But even in “real life,” most of the changes we make can be undone if they are leading us away from where we want to be.
Lovely post Nancy – a real sense of freedom expressed :).
Thanks, Rainee. When we go with the flow, listen to intuition, and allow life to unfold one step at a time, we often find that we are in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.
Very true!
We are a collection of our experiences and the result of following our “what ifs.” Sometimes a decision that seems scary turns out to be right. If it isn’t right, you steer it a little to get it on the right course but at least you had that experience.
Yes! Who we are now is the product of what we once wanted. Who we are now is the result of the choices we’ve made.
Some of the best choices I’ve made required me to step into the unknown . . . and that can be scary. But what is life if not an adventure!
Love this, Nancy! This is also how I write. Exploring the “what ifs” makes a story fun.
Writers see how a subtle shift can bring about big changes in a plot-line ~> having a character choose a different restaurant, a different place to vacation, a different career, or a different place to live can result in a completely different story arc.
And we can apply it in real life too:
* Visualize who you want to be.
* Chisel away everything that doesn’t conform to that vision.
Now that is real freedom Nancy 🏄🏼♀️ Keep going with the flow and enjoying the ride 💛
Yes . . . as the path unfolds before me!
I lose that freedom and serenity all too often, but the memory of that inner peace and silence call me back.
Well written…..you captured it.
That’s it! Once we’ve learned how to allow peace & serenity to surface in our lives, that ability becomes our “secret weapon” to quell chaos & confusion, agitation & angst.
Thanks for the reminder, Nancy – sometimes I lose this train of thought and it takes a jolt to get me on the right track again xxx
Here’s going with the flow . . . while following our “what ifs.”
I like the ‘no plan plan’ and will soon be able to live in the flow again after my seasonal work will ebb out for the summer 🙂 Can’t wait!
Glad that you’ll soon have a break from your seasonal work so you can go with the flow this summer.