Interruptions and Adaptability
I recently read in the LA Times that thirty-three years after being classified as an endangered species, the El Segundo blue butterfly, long since having left its disrupted habitat, is now back. It’s population is growing, despite noise and pollution, in the sandy dunes next to the Los Angeles airport. Perhaps it learned something about
Interruptions and Adaptability—
I was recently considered for coaching work in a consulting firm. The firm’s clients were all attorneys and I had some early experience working for and later coaching attorneys. After a a new Nordstrom suit purchased for my interview, a preliminary interview, and three weeks of deliberation, the firm decided to consider two attorney candidates who also coach. Perhaps a better fit for their needs, yet if their job role definition had been clear in the beginning, I would not have pursued this offer. Despite this annoyance, I drew on my familiarity with
Interruptions and Adaptability—
There are times like these when your normal course of action is interrupted to pursue an opportunity, only to come out the other end realizing that it simply isn’t going to happen or, in my case, the direction I was pursuing wasn’t going to take me where I wanted to go anyway. Of course it’s easier if you can figure this out in advance of taking unnecessary steps, but it’s not always easy to do that.
In my situation, despite this short career interruption, it allowed me to revisit all that I’m doing and want to be doing and make some new choices. Some of these are what I enjoy doing most (like coaching, training, etc.) and some of the things I need to let go of (additional classes for me, too much marketing, too many saved files, etc.). Then there is saying no to some things on the backburner in order to welcome room for new ventures I’ve put off, like piano and Spanish studies.
When your course is interrupted it requires you to be adaptable. Adaptability isn’t only tempered overtime after you’ve experienced ups and downs, but from consciously choosing in the middle of each new risk you take that you’ll be fine no matter the outcome. I’ve definitely been upset at times when things haven’t gone as expected, but I try to catch myself a little earlier each time to remind myself this is just ONE opportunity of many coming my way. As I do that, I grow in being more adaptable to changes—whether they’re positive or not—and more willing to keep my door open for the next opportunity.
How adaptable are you with change?
Tags: adaptability, life interruptions, new choices, pursuing opportunities, risk
August 5th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
The Interruptions and Adaptability issue is an ongoing homework for my life. I hope I can read more articles from you on this issue.
August 5th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Hi Laurie,
I want to respond to this subject of adaptability. I’ve been very concious over the last six months of how I’m getting better and better with my reactions when things don’t go the way I’m expecting them to go. I use a lot of my spiritual tools for these occasions re: “Man’s rejection is God’s protection,” is a good one. I remember the one, “Man plans, God laughs”, Or, I might even say, “Thank you God” instead of cursing the out of my control decision that is made for me. “Nothing so fine that God can’t replace it with something finer” comes to mind when given another course to follow in the way of a job, a man or place to live.
I have been through such a difficult life and when I look back to see why is was so difficult, so much of it was because of my reactions to events that had I known to just accept it as life with a more positive attitude, I would have not felt so hard done by. Because of so many gifts in the way of spiritual revelations, I have been able to be very aware when I’m faced with life interruptions. One day at a time is another tool I’ve come to use. I try to stay in the moment and see what God has planned.
The spiritual path I follow includes some advice given by our founder and that’s “to have patience, trustful acceptance and sincere submission.” It’s taken me 40 years to just get a little of that to work for me.
I hope I don’t sound preachy. I just wanted to share with you my observations and let you know that you brought up such an important aspect of our mental and spiritual health and how we can make it so much better for ourselves when we “row row row our boats gently down the stream, merrily merrily merrily merrily, life is but a dream.” Couldn’t help myself. I do love to sing.
lol Love you Laurie and I’m doing pretty well right now. Always grateful to your generous spirit.
God bless, Pilar
August 5th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
It’s somewhat like “Who moved my cheese?”
August 6th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
It’s always good to be reminded that we have choices. Life is certainly a continuous series of choices and possibilities presented to us…and your right Laurie, we decide how we’re going to react to what shows up.
It’s funny, but when I turned 50 I felt a conscious shift in how I was going to do my life in relation to my interactions with others. Maybe it was a shift in my maturing, or maybe I was just tired of working so hard to keep my interactions with people conflict free? This was the “down side” of my adapting myself to other people…didn’t want to rock that boat! Whatever it was, I decided I was just going to be myself, and work to allow others to do the same.
The result of this shift has been living a more authentic life. I’ve also noticed that my reactions to people and situations are way less dramatic. I’m sure my spirit is happy to be living more in the present…..as they say, that’s where the gifts are!
Thanks Laurie