No one can ever take this away from us... only ourselves.
I was reminded of this on a recent adventure in the northern tip of Menorca. Waiting at the bus stop after a scorching hot yet awesome day on the beach with a dear friend.
37 degrees.
Yes, the hottest day I've ever experienced... aside from August in Morocco many years ago. Lesson number one, don't ever go to Morocco in August unless you like living in an oven!
In Menorca we waited, and waited and waited... only to discover that the late bus was only for local hotel guests and not the public.
Damn.
No car... no bus... I started to contemplate sleeping on the beach. Sure it was an option, though ideally at the time I wanted to get back to the flat. My mind started running through possible options...
1) Sleep on the beach
2) Walk (might loooong walk... despite being a keen walker)
3) Hitch a ride with a passing car (I was feeling safe as I was with a friend)
4) Call a taxi (though might cost more than a flight home)
So it was decided, for the first time in my life (yes really!) I stuck out my thumb at the side of the road and waited to see if any passing cars were heading in our direction. No cars stopped.
My friend and I were now considering sleeping on the beach.
I said out loud as I often do when I want something... "Universe, we'd like a lift back home tonight please".
We saw a couple of late night hotel staff members getting into a car, and asked them if they were headed back to the city where we could get a connecting night bus... no, they weren't though they said a man in a white car round the corner was.
I felt like I was part of a detective team... 'look for the white car, ask for help'. Back to reality, we found the white car, father and two sons and he said he'd drop us back to the main city.
I felt like I was part of a detective team... 'look for the white car, ask for help'. Back to reality, we found the white car, father and two sons and he said he'd drop us back to the main city.
Phew!
"You're an Angel!" I said to him... he then decided to drop us back not just to the city for a connecting night bus but direct to our town. "I would only be half an Angel if I didn't take you all the way" he laughed.
We made it home, feeling blessed and grateful for the extreme generosity of the locals on this little island.
No matter what we think at the time, we always have options. There is always choice. Even if we feel we're in the depths of despair in challenging situations in life, even with situations we cannot change such as a loss of a loved one... everything falling apart around us... there are still options. We can see things from a different perspective and make the most out of a challenging situation.
By remaining fixated on the problem we miss the solutions and possibilities that are available around us. A closed mindset doesn't see the whole panoramic. An open mindset has the flexibility to open up to new experiences and opportunities.
And it just so happened, the car journey home was a great insight into local life too, quizzing the locals about the best things to do on the island, hearing direct from the islanders mouths.
...
So next time you find yourself feeling stuck in a challenging situation ask yourself this...
1) What are ALL the options available here? List them all... even the ones you know you won't take. This act simply reminds us that there are always options and choices... rather than feeling like we're stuck with only one and falling into the victim mentality.
2) What can I learn here? What can these insights help me with?
Choose one of all the possible options and notice what happens... incredible things can happen when we open up to it.
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