I woke up a sweaty mess today.
The air conditioning in my building is broken and now, with the sun barely up, my condo is 28 C. Did I mention I have a south-west facing space? It is only going to get hotter.
My first response was a spurt of judgement. “This happens every spring! Why don’t they test the system before the deadline? Why does this always happen to me?”*
Do you do this, too? Encounter a frustrating molehill of a situation and then make a mountain of judgement and drama out of it?
If you’re thinking “Uh Lucy? You’re right to be upset; it’s going to ruin your day!”
Well, yes. Except staying upset would have only hurt me. Nothing about the circumstance would change.
Here’s what I did instead of fuelling my upset, ruining my entire day, and staying sweaty, too!
Accept or convert
- I took a breath! Connecting with my breath is always step one when I’m feeling judgy. Sometimes it helps to place my hands over my heart or to focus on my feet. In a minute or two, I’m usually ready to take the next step as I’m out of my head and have paused my inner judge.
- I brought curiosity to the circumstance I’m in. I asked myself: “What might I do here? What happens if I accept the situation? What options do I have for converting my circumstances into a gift or opportunity?” All these questions bring calm and creativity.
- And, I explored my options. Accepting meant staying home in an oven, being uncomfortable and likely unproductive. Converting or changing my circumstances led me to explore options like working elsewhere. The library, park, coffee shop or a friend’s place were all possible options. I also thought about taking the day off work. Key to my decision was wanting to meet two deadlines so I opted to work elsewhere.
I saved my own day. Circumstances converted; mountain returned to molehill!
Walking through the accept or convert process frees you from an exhausting and self-defeating fight against reality. From a clear-headed/hearted space, you can respond with creativity instead of reactivity.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you try it!
P.S. Bonus points if you noticed my Victim Saboteur jumping into the dialogue! It’s so determined.