This month has been a trying one for me. I have a lot on my plate to deal with, and it’s put a lot of stress on me. I have felt burnt out not once, but twice, and I think I’m about to feel burnt out for a third time. This month is teaching me the value of stress management, and self-care. I’m realising I still don’t have this fully figured out and what to do when I’m feeling stressed out. But the only thing I know on some conscious level is that everything will work out. They always do.
We are not (entirely) superheroes
I’m sure some of you can identify with this feeling. Things feel like they’re unravelling right before your eyes, the thread pulling out of the seam so fast that you can’t catch it. It’s a soul-crushing feeling. It’s a helpless feeling. It’s also a feeling meant to test you. You think you can handle it all, but when everything is falling apart, can you really? Do you really think you have what it takes to hold everything up at the same time?
No, no one can hold everything up at the same time. We are not superheroes. Well, not entirely. But we are just people trying to do the best we can. And this is what I try to keep in mind when it feels like the world is collapsing all around me. That I’m not a failure. I’m not a disappointment. I just can’t save the day all the time. And that’s okay. And I have to accept that. It’s not ideal, but it’s the reality.
The Law of Least Effort
In The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Deepak Chopra talks about the Law of Least Effort. The Law of Least Effort says that we succeed when we learn to accept things for what they are, and for what they are not. When we resist the outcome because it turned out differently from what we wanted, we are essentially struggling against the universe, for whatever shall be will be. It is powerful if we could instead learn in this moment that we do not have control over anything else but ourselves. When things didn’t turn out the way we expected, when people didn’t act the way we expected, instead we should just accept these events for what they are. At the end of the day, what we perceive as problems are instead opportunities in disguise which can lead us to something greater than we ever thought possible.
The Art of Letting Go
I have to admit that I’m still not a master at letting go and accepting things as they happen. But the few times that I have just gone with the flow, I felt much happier and freer. And things usually did work out anyway. Sometimes things worked out even better than I thought they would. I think it’s helpful to keep in mind that none of us can predict the future. So then why do we always assume the worst will happen when things can always most likely turn around for the better?
I have to accept the world as it is. I have to accept people as they are. I even have to accept myself as I am. Things won’t always go as planned, and they won’t always work out on our time. But they will work themselves out eventually. I therefore give myself permission to stay calm and collected instead of feeling overwhelmed. I don’t have to worry. Everything will be okay.
You Will be Okay
So do let this be a reminder to you, whenever you start feeling stressed out or at your wit’s end about something. When it feels like everything is going wrong at the same time. You get to know that you don’t have to save the world today. You get to breathe and relax and stay calm. You get to trust that the universe, or a higher power, God, has your back. You get to relish in the fact that in every problem lies an opportunity, and that all is not lost. You may not know how everything will turn out, but you get to know that they will work out. They always do.
