Live Between Always And Never

We often live the way we always have, moving through life without thinking about the choices we’re making, finding comfort in that, thinking our way is the best way, even when we may not be getting the results we want, and keeping our mind closed to new ideas that may solve some of the problems we face. Life, many times, is one just one way or the other, I’ve written before about living in the gray or in-between because it is within that place, in the middle that we are still questioning how we live and are open to trying things differently, it’s within that place where positive change happens and we learn and grow.

Before walking the path I do now I was an always or never person, I thought I knew what was best for me and I wasn’t interested or open to hearing other ways. I was not happy with the way my life was going but I was not willing to do anything about it. I stayed stuck and stayed sick. I’ve written many times about doing the same things over and over and expecting different results, that was a direct result of living in always, I’ve always done it this way, I always do it this way, and this is the way I’m going to continue to always do it even though it is not bringing me the results I’m looking for. Total insanity. And yet, that is how I lived for most of my life. My always and never way of life drove me into very dark places and it was not until I allowed there to be space for a maybe that things started to change. As I began to recover it was stressed to me that the only way to get better was to be open, to let go of the way I had been doing things and make the necessary changes to improve my life. Being open was difficult at first, but I could not deny that the way I had been doing things did not work, so I challenged myself to say yes to new things, instead of immediately saying never. At first, It felt scary to try new things, even just to think about them, but I started to enjoy the rush of excitement of doing something for the first time, and, I enjoyed the results of trying something new. Not everything I tried worked, but there was a lesson in that as well, I had tried, and sometimes that is the point not the result. I still dig my heels in from time to time, in fact just the other day I caught myself saying never and I got called out on it, but the good things in my life today are a result of saying yes, and keeping an open mind and open heart, trying something new, and learning that life is pretty good in the middle and it allows for unexpected things.

We can be set in our ways and think that it keeps us safe, but many times it keeps us from moving forward, from getting better and from connecting to those around us. Stubbornness does not leave from for growth, and the many surprises life has to offer. Let down your ways of always and never and leave some room for maybe or I’ll try that, and watch your life get bigger and better. There is a whole world out there you know nothing about, why not dip your toe into some new waters and maybe take a swim, you never know how warm the water might be unless you get in. SLAY on!

SLAY OF THE DAY: Do you tend to stick to the ways you have always done things? How does that help you? How does that hurt you? How do you think it may have held you back? What opportunities did you pass on that you now regret? What were they? What can you do today so that does not happen again? What parts of your life would you like to see change? Are you willing to try new things to change them? What can you do to ease your restrictions of always and never to let some change into your life? Change only happens when you invite it in. 

S – self  L – love  A – appreciate  Y – you