Shephard's Alley

Monday, August 01, 2011

Protecting What I Care About

I have been surrounded by situations where someone else "drops the ball" repeatedly. It's a 3-part recipe of disrespect, incompetence and negligence. But that's not what this post is about. It's about what is really going on. When something continuously happens, I tend to look for something valuable in the experience for me to examine/learn.

Things get resolved eventually.

So there's the bigger lesson here:

No matter how f'ed up some people or situations are, they can't touch your Highest Good. I believe this, because time and again, I've seen things eventually right themselves and work in the direction I needed most (even if I didn't realize I needed that direction). This whole thing is about trusting and keeping the eye on the big picture.

The energy and attitude you put out there has a way of difusing and repelling those who don't mesh what what you're doing/creating. Their efforts and attitude stand out like a sore thumb against what you're trying to create. It's like a big ole sign post from the Universe saying "Pay attention, this doesn't match up, keep your eye on this, and take care of it."

But we get mad instead of just focusing on the task at hand: protecting what we care about. Eventually, things fall into resolve and those causing the problems are repelled.

I could have a cow. I had one Thursday.

We all get angry once in a while. We're human. I could be resentful and holier-than-thou, and cop an attitude of me against them, and feel all justified and victimized. But protecting what I care about is MY job, not theirs. Having a cow wastes my energy. Imagine a world of people who were proactive about getting what they need out of life, with expectations and attitudes placed on the back burner!

Back to reality.

No matter the incompetence of others, I have always been okay in the past, and will likely be okay in the future. The odds are in my favor. I panic or get angry because I feel like I am losing control. That's an illusion, because we never have control over those people to begin with. I will create what I need to happen, one way or another.

What I have learned from the unusual amount of stress B & I have dealt with the past 4 years, is that the best defense is no defense (all those books on Taoism I read stick with me). I wasted too much energy complaining, too much energy freaking out, giving things much more importance and drama than they deserve. If I calmly look to the future, I know it will be the way I need it to be eventually. Embracing the way the world works is easier and more peaceful, even if it isn't always pleasant. I'm verbal about what I need, and I try to look for opportunities and choices that swing things back the direction I need them to go.

It's not always a pleasant journey, protecting what you want/need.

But I read something recently. "Nobody ever said life was easy…they just promised that it would be worth it." (Harvey MacKay). It's totally worth it.

Things will get done when they get done.

Oboe is sick. He will be get better.

The yard is not finished due to incompetence.

B's job is a pain in the ass lately. It'll pass.

We're both tired. We will be fine. We'll be rested again soon.

Life is still good.

And I'll continue to do my job: protecting what I care about.

~Shephard :)

Labels: Of Mice and Mondays