Resistance does not help!
I woke up at 5 am on Sunday to a text message and a missed call from a staff member. She was informing me she had diarrhea for the second time in less than a month since our opening. Both instances have followed a night out on the town. Worse still I had cut back the roster as it has been quiet. (The first goal of our fledgling business is to pay our way.) For a split second, I started down the distress rabbit hole. I had a take the “red pill” or the “blue pill” moment. It is that fleeting moment where I get to choose. The choice is a simple one; get angry and upset and guarantee myself a terrible day or give up resistance, put my metaphorical skates on and just get on with it.
Begin differently to allow for a different outcome
Sunday was day 6 of a 6 day run and I knew if I were to have any chance of a “good” day I had to begin it differently. I went into the restaurant at 5.30 a full hour prior to the time I deemed necessary to begin work and instead of working, I read. I did not read just anything however, I read something that would nourish my mind and my spirit and set me up to deal with the day ahead. My “go-to” text in such a circumstance is “The power of now” by Eckhart Tolle. I did not go looking for any specific thing to read, instead I just picked up where I had left off. As it turns out, the text I read was perfect for my day: It was all about surrender and giving up resistance to what is.
Surrender is inner acceptance of what is without any reservations.
Eckhart Tolle
It doesn’t take long
I only read for 10 minutes and in those 10 minutes I read intently and imbibed every word. At 5.30 in the morning there was little else I could do so I read and I allowed the text to shape and mold my response. I understand the power of gratitude and in particular of gratitude in advance. It is a truth all the great masters have understood. For the next 10 minutes I wrote my gratitude letter. The energy of gratitude lifts us up (red pill) and takes us in a very different direction to the energy of make wrong (blue pill). Then I put on some groovy tunes aka 80’s music and got on with it.
As luck would have it we were busy. Not just your average busy but your crazy kind of busy. I kept my cool and just kept surrendering to the moment. I let people know I was short staffed and there might be some delays and they wouldn’t wait any longer than necessary. It’s amazing what a difference simply being present and focusing on what I can do rather than how my day should have gone. I set my focus, remained grateful and didn’t grit my teeth and soldier on. I did my best.
Here are the 5 things that made the difference
- Accept things how they are and how they are not. Give up the right to make the situation or anyone wrong. This is the beginning of power.
- Give up all resistance and surrender to the present moment. From here the next steps are clear: Your action will be insightful and fruitful.
- Be deliberate about where and how I focus. Choosing to respond to the best of my ability is not only a responsible choice it is a peaceful one.
- Set yourself up by reading something that is either inspiring or grounding.
- Write a list of everything that you are grateful for or better yet write a gratitude later and then read over it.