So, here's the question:
I thought I had my life mapped out and knew where I
was going, but nothing is working out the way I had planned. I am not feeling very grateful right
now. What can I do?
I can personally relate to this frustration. I, too, had a plan for my life. When our youngest child was in high school my
life plan seemed to fall to pieces. My
husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
My children were now mostly grown and I had planned to spend my time
developing my writing skills and seeking publication. However, our changed circumstances now
required that I go to work—part time at first, and eventually full time.
I was devastated, knowing that I wouldn’t have the time I
wanted to devote to writing. However, I
could give it some time. I love to
become immersed in the writing process and to stay involved in it for uninterrupted
hours. This just was not possible with
my new responsibilities, but I committed to writing for two hours each day
after work and before I began preparing dinner.
I spent that time doing interviews, outlining, writing and honing my
draft. After about a year I had
developed a rough copy of a book, but now I had to work full time! My husband’s condition was not so serious
that I had to help him every moment, so I fit writing in before work in the
morning and before bed at night. Eventually,
I was able to finish my project. I did not
abandon my goal, though I did find my timeline for fulfilling my objectives had
to be changed.
Life is not very predictable and things most often DON’T go
as planned, but don’t give up on your plans.
Don’t abandon your goals and dreams.
As you move though the obstacles that present themselves, look for ways
to accomplish your desires. Slow down if
necessary. Rearrange your timetable for
completing your objectives if you have to, but don’t abandon your dreams.
It is easy to quit when life becomes discouraging, but you
have a purpose for being on this earth. I
don’t know what it is because it’s your purpose, not mine. Perhaps you don’t know what it is either, but
you can find out. Whatever it is, it is
something positive and good. If, as you
say, you have already developed a life plan, then quite possibly you know the
mission you desire to accomplish. I have
a friend who told me, “Don’t die with your music still in you.” We all have something wonderful to give. We need to determine that we will work within
the difficulties we encounter, and not allow them to dissuade us from accomplishing
the mission we are meant to perform.
Maybe your mission is raising a family, or being a great
volunteer in your community, or leading an organization. Maybe your mission is to write music, or
create a new way to do something, or to make a discovery, or to be a great
performer of some kind. Maybe it is to
be an uplifting, positive influence to those around you. Ponder over and
discover your purpose, and then fulfill that purpose. Yes, you will face difficulties. Work through them. Obstacles will sometimes get in your way. Find ways to overcome them. As you do, you will discover new things about
yourself. You will develop new skills
and personality traits (such as patience and creativity), and become a more
sensitive and caring person. Practicing
gratitude every day will help you to gain insight and become more creative. Learn
the unique gratitude strategies that will assist you in doing that. These practices will help you to have a more
positive outlook, in spite of your challenges.
The things you learn because of your challenges will give you even more
reason for gratitude. In short,
approaching life with a grateful heart is a winning proposition any way you
look at it. I have lots more to say
about this, but my blog format is designed to be brief. So, not to toot my own horn, but you can find
many suggestions in my book, Gratitude’s Transcending Power, for
overcoming obstacles and developing the practices that will assist you.
While it’s true that you may not reach your goals as you originally
had them outlined, don’t give up on them.
Keep pressing forward, realizing that the obstacles you overcome, and
the challenges you meet, are an important part of YOUR life journey. Don’t criticize these obstacles and
challenges. Rejoice in them; they have a
purpose. Keep focused on what you want
to achieve. You will make discoveries
that you never dreamed of, and find that, when you do finally reach your goal,
you will be a more interesting, more compassionate, and more multi-faceted
person than you were when you started out.
