Thinking about Therapy?
Take our quiz to see therapists who are a good match for you.
Take our quiz to see therapists who are a good match for you.
Lately, I have found myself in a slump. A slump that includes feeling unhappy, exhausted, and just tired of trying so damn hard all the time. Where are these fruitful results I am working so hard for? How much longer do I have to live this way? Then I remember, I don’t actually have much control as I think I do…and that makes me pissed. It sucks! I trust me more than anyone else to produce results, yet, I have to trust and depend on OTHERS to achieve success, um ew, no thank you! No wonder I am unhappy and exhausted all the time. I’m running around thinking I have the power to manipulate life, all while life is laughing in my face. Cool.
As someone who enjoys being in control, I am learning that relinquishing control is sometimes the only control I have. This morning, for example, I am in my shower prepping for my day (actually just trying to wake myself up because two cups of coffee hadn’t helped) and the fire alarms start blaring. WTF! So, naturally, I throw a towel around me, put on shoes, grab my cat (she’s so lucky I love her), my phone and keys, and run out the door with this slithering cat snake trying to escape and pull off my towel. I travel down three flights of stairs while deafening alarms burst my eardrums, all to discover maintenance tripped the alarm because of a pipe burst in an apartment no where near me. My first instinct was to yell at the maintenance officer because who in the hell trips a fire alarm for a pipe burst?! Second, was to throw Millie (my cat) and me into the car because one, I am in a towel, and two, because Millie is going to claw me to death. Third, was that, now I need to contact my clients to let them know I may need to reschedule. Great. What a perfect start to a Monday morning post Daylight Savings Time. I GET IT LIFE, I AM FUCKING AWAKE NOW!!!
All in all, this delightful morning reminded me of two things. One, I can spend my entire life prepping for perfection and exhausting myself to feel in control, but at the end of the day, there are just some things I can never be prepared for. I need to learn to deal with that better. My goal is to focus on being more present and just allowing life to unfold. It’s scary to relinquish control, but in reality, I never really have any control to relinquish anyway. Second, was my reminder to be grateful. There was no fire, no water damage, my cat and me were safe, and my client’s and I still had awesome sessions. This reminder was needed. We get so caught up in our own problems and worries that we often forget what matters most.
I hope your morning did not start as mine did, but if it did, I hope you were able to let it go, get back to business, remember gratitude, and the power of being present.
Until my next life “crisis” occurs,
Stephanie Lindsey
