You lost control and are offering a reward to anyone who finds it? Boy, we sure could use some clarity right about now. Can you figure what is or isn’t going on in the world? Believe it or not, it may not be possible to fathom, find out, and decode life. But what we can do is live it in the moment. Don’t you miss the age when you thought you would have it all together by the time you were the age you are now? One thing’s for certain: There are no guarantees or assurances in this life.
We all want to believe that if we make the right efforts, they will bear the amazing fruit we deserve, don’t we? They say life is sometimes a comedy. The trouble is: There are too many bad actors who don’t know how to play funny. And can you even find the satire in all the absurdity we are living through? You may feel like we are stuck in a snow globe and somebody just keeps giving it a good shake.
There are lots of unanswered questions in this existence, like why do only annoying songs get stuck in your head? Or better yet, the song is stuck in your head, but you only know one line.
You may just have to give up trying to figure it all out, sweet friends. You simply cannot maneuver life. All that will do is invite anger, annoyance, and aggravation. That is why it is crucial to live in the “Here and Now.” What is your next step? Is it mentally and spiritually healthy for you and your loved ones? That’s right: Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Someday you will look back, and you’ve climbed a mountain.
We are all a bit disoriented nowadays. You turned on the wrong burner, and now you’ve been cooking nothing for 20 minutes. I know the feeling. By the way, if you’re wondering about my culinary skills, I’ve been asked to bring paper towels to our family picnic. Of course, not knowing the answers means we can’t control what is happening to us. And who wants to feel vulnerable and at mercy of the world? We desperately try to make sense of things. Cause and effect feels just right. But the sad truth is that we simply cannot think our way out of every situation in creation.
I’ll bet your loved ones’ and friends’ actions and inner realities are vastly different from yours at this time. You try to connect the dots for them, but guess what? What makes perfect sense to you may seem absurd to them. With enough mental gymnastics, any fact can get distorted to support your confirmation bias. So please stay composed, collected, and unruffled. It’s been said: If you don’t get a hold of yourself, you’ll end up with no self.
Indeed, the best wisdom may come from letting go, and not trying to figure this all out. After all, the mental gymnastics you are doing all day is not serving you well at all. The reality may not change, but you can change in relation to your reality. If you want peace from the thumping in your own head, you best carve out some space within yourself to allow peace to flow in. If life was meant to be controlled, it would have come with a set of instructions and a remote.
All the confusion keeping you awake? You know what they say: “Insomnia sharpens your math skills because you spend all night calculating how much sleep you’ll get if you’re able to ‘fall asleep right now.’” Get moving during the day, please. “Tis’ better to have loafed and lost than never to have loafed at all.” Your mind may need exercise as much as your body; that’s why you are thinking about running every day? Get out there and do it. Didn’t you get the memo? Muscle soreness is the new hangover.
There is no greater satisfaction than developing your character and abilities. Nothing that lies outside of our selves is ever fully secure or stable. And that, sweet friends, is a fact of life. Be more conscious of what you do, how you handle your relationships, and which paths you decide to take or avoid. Do you learn from people you admire? Do you seek guidance and keep your mind open to new possibilities?
By now, most of you know that the universe does not always make sense to us. Know your purpose and don’t waste your precious time or energy trying to understand your troubles or the bad happenings around you. What you do have is the power to make the next moment in this big, blue marble of a world special and memorable. How do you choose to remember it?
Caroline is a licensed psychotherapist, crisis counselor, and writer with an office in Queens. She works with individuals, couples, and families. Appointments are available throughout the week and weekends. She can be reached at 917-717-1775 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at facebook.com/pages/Safe-Haven-Healing.
