My week went by quietly, with most of the tasks on my to-do list ticked off. However, I did cut myself some slack with my self-care routine and it didn’t make me happy. It wasn’t that I was lazy or something. Let’s just say that the situation didn’t go as planned. I would have wallowed in misery but I didn’t give myself permission to do that. Instead, I questioned what went wrong and identified the grey areas that needed to be worked on.
Actually, I think I had far too many things on my list to accomplish this week and that very fact was perhaps a sign of my poor planning.
We often forget that life always throws us in the face of unexpected situations and in spite of the best of intentions, we do end up, not keeping up with our daily or weekly goals, especially when they run into a long list of things. This time, I made sure I didn’t beat myself up for my inability to stick to my tasks. I focussed on how I could change things for the better instead and this renewed optimism made me feel good inside, and wash away the guilt that came with my initial disappointment.
That is life, dear reader! Some days we win and some days we lose. Things don’t go as per our plan all the time. In fact, that’s how things happen most of the time. Taking into account the contingencies make our plans better. Lesson learnt I’m moving onto the week ahead hopefully, a little wiser.
No matter what goes on in my life, there’s always this one lesson that keeps coming back to me as a constant reminder, time and again—to accept what we cannot change or control with grace, humility and courage.
I’m going to have a lot on my plate in the coming days and while I know blogging itself will become a challenge and self-care even more so, I’m trying to stay focused on these two most essential areas that form the core of my wellbeing, especially in the face of adversity.
On that note, I wish you all a very productive and blessed week ahead. If you’re going through challenging times, know that you can do your best to handle the situation but the outcome isn’t always in your hands. So, acceptance of what comes our way and what emerges becomes the key thing.
Breathe deeply—I say to myself every morning and then, I get ready to embrace the uncertainties of life! Somewhere, deep within, I hold onto this one mantra—
Come what may, I’ll do my best.
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Written as part of our #SoulfulSunday freewriting exercise—along with Vinitha, Shilpa and Anamika.
Sorry I’m so late to comment. I hope your week was better than you expected, Esha.
What stood out for me are these words of yours: ‘to accept what we cannot change or control with grace, humility and courage’.
The best laid plans can often go awry. I think we need to be able to adapt and remain flexible as much as we can. Prioritise what’s most important and remember that tomorrow is another day.
Yes, living with that hope is just what we need when our plans flop!
You are right, Esha. Do our best, but the result could go in a different direction despite those best efforts. Acceptance is the first lesson. Of course, it isn’t easy to accept life and its trickery easily. But with experience, one will learn to do so.
Wish you a productive and peaceful week ahead with plenty of self care moments, Esha.
Totally, dear Vinitha. Hopefully, we’re all getting wiser, one day at a time. 🙂
Thanks so much for the lovely wishes.
Rightly said! There are some things that are just out of our control and it isn’t right to beat ourselves about the things that we couldn’t accomplish. I hope you are having a nice week!
Thanks so much, Reema. So kind of you to say so. Hope you’re having a relaxed weekend too.