When Things Don't Work
Frequently, when faced with a problem, we may attempt to solve it in a particular way. When that way doesn't work, we may continue trying to solve the problem in that same way.
We may get frustrated, try harder, get more frustrated, and then exert more energy and influence into forcing the same solution that we have already tried and that didn't work.
That approach makes us crazy. It tends to get us stuck and trapped. It is the stuff that unmanageability is made of.
We can get caught in this same difficult pattern in relationships, in tasks, in any area of our life. We initiate something, it doesn't work, doesn't flow, we feel badly, then try the same approach harder, even though it's not working and flowing.
Sometimes, it's appropriate not to give up and to try harder. Sometimes, it's more appropriate to let go, detach, and stop trying so hard.
If it doesn't work, if it doesn't flow, maybe life is trying to tell us something. Life is a gentle teacher. She doesn't always send neon road signs to guide us. Sometimes, the signs are more subtle. Something not working may be a sign!
Let go. If we have become frustrated by repeated efforts that aren't producing desired results, we may be trying to force ourselves down the wrong path. Sometimes, a different solution is appropriate. Sometimes, a different path opens up. Often, the answer will emerge more clearly in the quietness of letting go than it will in the urgency, frustration, and desperation of pushing harder.
Learn to recognize when something isn't working or isn't flowing. Step back and wait for clear guidance.
Today, I will not make myself crazy by repeatedly trying solutions that have proven themselves unsuccessful. If something isn't working, I will step back and wait for guidance.
From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie ©1990, Hazelden Foundation.
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The definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over & over, expecting different results.
When I force the issue, insisting on 'fixing' it my way, I solve nothing. In fact, I create an even bigger problem.
What makes me think I have all the answers? Only God has the answers, and I trust Him to guide me, rather than my own stubborn pride.
Developing spirituality helps me to rely on my gut instincts; to back off when all the indicators point in that direction, and to listen to the message I'm being given.
When an answer does not appear to me immediately, I have the patience to wait until it does. I don't have to act compulsively or impulsively, cramming my way down everyone's throat.
If I was an expert at living life, I wouldn't have eaten my way up to obesity or drank myself into oblivion.
For today, I will recognize when something isn't working or flowing. I will detach, step back, and wait for clear guidance.
For today, I will not make myself crazy by trying to rule the world.
For today, I will not make myself crazy by trying to rule the world.
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