On the way to happiness
Many of us define our goals, make an action plan with specific deadlines, and take steps to accomplish those goals. And it is fantastic that we do it. Then we stick to the plan! We are committed and determined to follow the path to success. And one day, totally unexpectedly, we face a new situation, an obstacle on our way. What do we do then?
Let’s say that one day, suddenly, you’re losing your job. What are your feelings? Is it frustration, lack of self-worth, sadness, worry, uncertainty about your future, your career, money, family? It is definitely normal to have any of these emotions and doubts. What would you do in this situation? Would you sit and focus on the problems that even might lead to depression? Or would you focus on a solution and take action? Would you update your CV and send it to multiple companies, and update your profile on LinkedIn? Or maybe you would decide to start your own business, something that you have always dreamed of, and now you have the biggest motivation than ever, an opportunity to finally do it, and get even more flexibility working as an entrepreneur. Please, read also my article about taking responsibility.
Or what would you do if suddenly you became single after being in a long-term relationship? You could sit at home, in your bed watching romantic movies, eating chips, and crying. Grieving is normal and even necessary, and we cannot skip it, yet it shouldn’t last too long. So, what about finding benefits of being single. Knowing them would be helpful on the way to adapt to the new situation. We could rediscover our hobbies and passions. We could spend more time with our families and friends. We could make new friends, do new activities, and create new memories. Yet, the most important would be to find inner happiness, happiness that is independent of anyone and anything.
I was living in Mexico for a couple of beautiful years. When there was an earthquake, our apartment building did not have any scratch. Why not? Because it was built earthquake proof, flexible, and though the building was moving left and right, and believe me, it was pretty scary, the building did not get damaged. Think of a sugar cane – thanks to its flexibility it doesn’t break in a stormy wind.
If we go on through our lives, both personal and professional, with very strict plans with little or no possibility to adapt to the continuously changing circumstances, we are doomed to many disappointments, worries, pressure, and maybe failure or depression. That’s why we need to get prepared. There will be obstacles and challenges on our way. They are not avoidable. We know that. That’s life. Therefore, the best way to avoid such disappointments is to be more flexible.
Let’s remember what Albert Einstein said,
“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”
Flexibility is the ability to adapt easily to various scenarios. When we are flexible, we are ready to adapt to changes. When we have only one solution to our problem, we might feel stressed, “What will happen if this doesn’t work?” When we have two solutions, plan A, and plan B, we have a choice. However, when we have plan A, plan B, and plan C, we have options.
The more options we have, the more flexible we are,
the easier and calmer we make decisions.
This way, we avoid more stress, and we find more inner peace in any situation.
Flexibility allows us to easier and quicker adapt to new conditions, new communities, or a new country. We need to be flexible to adapt quickly to continuous changes in technology, marketing and so on. Workplace changed as well – nowadays there is more flexibility to work at home, on the train, in a cafe. For the past 21 years I have lived in three foreign countries. I learned all the languages and that helped me to adapt in each country very quickly. I was open for new adventures. In Brazil I learned to dance forró and samba. I learned to eat grilled picanha, fraldinha, filet mignon, chicken, sausages and more, seasoned only with sea salt, no sauces. Yummy! In Mexico, I continued to dance salsa and bachata. And I made new friends in every place, and I am continuously connecting with people.
As a curiosity, let me tell you that for various reasons I spoke with my twins in three different languages over the past 19 years, Polish for the first four years, then Dutch for another four years, and since then, English. That’s an example of how we can adapt to various situations in life.
Flexibility also allows us to be more open to other people’s opinions
that can be sometimes different or even totally opposite to ours.
When we are flexible, we have ease to accept that. We are even encouraged to ask questions in order to find out what others know or think, and discuss various opinions. We accept that there is lots of room for various ideas and improvements. When we listen, we can hear a better idea than ours. And yes, we should have our principles, we should be passionate about our beliefs, but flexibility allows us to open our minds to different points of view. Being more flexible, we get more tolerant to criticism, and it is essential for our happiness.
Flexibility helps us choose emotions that empower us.
And flexibility helps us come out of our comfort zone and take some risks, because flexibility allows us to face challenges.
The more flexible we are,
the more able we are to create and discover new opportunities and to succeed.
I suggest to think of flexibility as essential assets of our daily existence. Let’s practice flexibility and enjoy it. Being able to be flexible is a strength, not a weakness. It is a powerful skill, it is a huge value. Life is a journey with many challenges on its way. Let’s be flexible to adapt easily and take proper actions. Let’s embrace the changes and flexibility, because they are needed for our inner happiness. I recommend you to also read my article about gratitude.
With love,
Sylwia
Recent Comments