“APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS”
I’m sure you’ve all heard this saying; we here in Florida did have rain over the weekend and my flowers are starting to bloom again. However, for parts of the country, particularly in the Northeast, their saying goes something like this:
“APRIL SHOWERS BRING…SNOW”
Yes, those folks (my family included) are now dealing with snow that has blanketed the ground and brought very chilly temperatures. What gives? Wasn’t it back in February that we saw Punxatawney Phil not see his shadow, which meant an early Spring. People were cheering, especially after temperatures did rise. But, not all is at it seems.
I wonder how many people will believe Phil, or his handlers, after this. It reminds me of our weather in Florida and hurricanes – the weathermen preach doom and gloom and ‘take cover’ predictions but then we only get a little bit of rain; the next time, people are dismissive and unbelievers (I remember people being unprepared and laughing off predictions when we had 4 hurricanes – they learned).
Why is it that we seem to believe everything we see or hear, or reject, and then wonder why things turn out the way they do? Why are some people so willing to take opinions from others while others reject everything they hear? We do have to look at history and patterns which do influence our thinking and, ultimately, decision-making for how we lead our lives. One person can be so trusting, willing to follow the crowd; often, they don’t trust themselves or decisions they make out of some fear, such as rejection, being wrong, getting laughed at, saying the wrong thing, etc. They can’t face a consequence, which is made up in their mind.
And then the other group has been hurt in some way – disappointed or rejected – so they have their ‘armor’ on and are not willing to entertain any other thought or take a risk. They face the same fears as the first group but these individuals have ‘proof’ that whatever is out there won’t work so they never try.
Our brains have this funny way of protecting us, which is not always healthy; denial is a useful tool in certain situations and time, such as during a death or divorce. But it is not meant to stay and be the ‘go-to’ coping mechanism for how we lead our life. If the painful situation is not dealt with, then one of the self-sabotaging behaviors above will emerge, acting as the director for the actions you take which will lead to facing the very situation you’ve been avoiding and feeling unprepared. The emotional effects begin to take their toll and lead to life-long patterns.
Only when you start trusting yourself, develop healthier ways of dealing with past hurts and being open to what those experiences taught you (you have survived, right?) will you begin to lead the life you desire. Begin to challenge and question your thoughts – “is this true? (Byron Katie). Stop stressing about situations you cannot get back or control. I love this saying: “We can’t control situations that happen to us; but we can control how we think about them” (abridged, Brian Tracy). Start today with this new month and start living your best life!
If you’d like help in creating your best life, contact us today to get started: http://www.cyscoaching.com
Your Career Success Blog 