Tonight for I am reaching once again into the LIG (Lessons in Gratitude) archives for wisdom from earlier this year. I had started working on a different piece but decided tonight to spin the wheel of the random number generator. I will be building on the LIG from October 9, 2011 (Day 102):
Today I am grateful for improvisation–if you can’t do something one way, figure out how to do it differently.
Persisting and following through with something when the first avenue is closed off doesn’t have to be difficult or unpleasant. I could have driven home when I couldn’t park in my usual spot and walk in my usual place. Instead I figured out something different,and it turned out fine. I’ve had some practice lately adjusting to changing circumstances. Sometimes I am more graceful and undaunted,and others I am more grudging and uncomfortable. Changes in plans,changes in life circumstances,changes in the weather….changes happen. Sometimes life can turn on a dime. Given that reality, it behooves me to remain as flexible and adaptable as I can–to improvise. Now I recognize that sometimes things happen for which we are so totally unprepared that we are caught completely off-guard,sometimes devastated. But by and large,even in those situations,if we’re fortunate we can recalibrate and still make shifts in how we approach things. There’s a spark on the inside of each of us that gives us the strength,the courage,whatever it is we need to make those shifts and adaptations.
I imagine that over time I have become more nimble in adapting to changes. I am grateful that even when the rug was pulled out from under me several months ago,I was able to adapt myself to survive the changes and am now doing pretty well. Developing and maintaining a sense of gratitude for the many blessings in my life has been foundational in my movement forward.
In the year and a half since I wrote this entry I’ve had many, many additional opportunities to practice the skill of improvisation, of figuring out how to work with what I’m given. While there is still room for improvement I’m not necessarily seeking opportunities to practice. What I am grateful for is the continuing ability to roll with what is presented. Some days this is easier than others, particularly when I am in one of those spaces in which a variety of conditions all seem to be shifting at the same time. In those situations it takes an incredible amount of energy to maintain a sense of equanimity and balance in the midst of the swirl. I am grateful for the strength of determination that keeps me doing the dance of improvisation, and while I’d like life to settle down a bit and develop a more predictable pattern, it could be that this is simply life the way it is for so many of us these days.
This reminds me of a quote often attributed to Jon Kabat Zinn that says, “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Who knows what wacky, unexpected event might occur next. The best I can do is be prepared to ride whatever wave happens to roll my way, and in the midst of the curl, be grateful. So be it!
