In the Wind

bag in windI was driving down the highway the other day when I noticed something up in the sky. As I drove closer to the object, I was able to assess what was up there. The object appeared to be a plastic bag, the kind that you get at the grocery store.  The bag was flying up and down and around with such energy. It followed no pattern or course, simply depending on the next big gust of wind to decide its fate.

 

The whole experience reminded me of a number of people that I’ve come across in my life.

 

I had a conversation with a young man a couple years ago.  The talk turned to his part-time job, so I asked him how it was going.  He lamented that his hours had been cut and felt angry about the whole situation.  He told me exactly how he was going to be affected by this unfortunate turn of events.  He definitely did his fair share of complaining.

 

I listened to him for a while before I spoke.  I asked him the obvious question— had he had discussed the cutbacks with his supervisor?  He looked at me incredulously and said no. When I asked him why he hadn’t had a discussion with this boss, he really didn’t have an answer.

 

I explained to him that he needed to ask WHY his hours had been cut. Then, with his boss, he needed to outline the reasons why allowing him to keep those hours would be the right decision. Frankly, none of this had ever occurred to him.  He didn’t feel that he had a choice in the situation. I believe he was just waiting for that next big gust of wind to decide his fate.

 

I talked to a young woman on the phone today. Earlier this year, she had lost her job to an unfortunate turn of events. She spent hours researching, networking and pounding the pavement to find another job. It didn’t surprise me that she found the perfect match fairly quick in her journey. Today she shared that, again, her new employer is taking drastic measures to cut back and a whole team has been laid off.

 

This is devastating news considering she just got back on her feet. However, I was impressed by the strength in her voice.  She refused to waste time whining about what couldn’t change and she was already busy networking and researching how she could take charge in her situation. She was adamant that she would control her destiny. She would not accept that the next big gust of wind would decide her fate.

 

I hate to say this, but I know individuals that have spent their whole lives in this pattern.  They float and bob from one job or relationship to the next, letting others decide their fate.  When the wind stops, they land. Usually, they blame their misfortune on others, never accepting the fact that the whole time, they had the ability to control their own path in life.

 

This is your reminder that you don’t have to be that plastic bag taking flight in the wind, unsure of where you’re going or when you will land.

 

You have the power to control your own destiny.

 

 

 

 

 

Instant Gratification

It started with a funny feeling in my throat.  It wasn’t exactly a feeling of pain; it was more like a tickle. It went downhill from there into a dry hacking cough and a general malaise.  I spent Wednesday searching for a Wedding dress for my future daughter-in-law.  By the middle of the afternoon, I was moving slower and wishing that I could lie down on the nearest couch. I had a cough, a cold and a total lack of energy.

 

By today, I had difficulty talking for long periods of time without feeling like I was going to start coughing uncontrollably.  My husband heard me in the other room and said, “When are you going to go to the doctor?”  Here’s the reason why that might not happen.

 

I’ve been down this road before with the exact same symptoms.  I go to the doctor and after the exam he announces that there’s an 80% chance that all my symptoms are just viral and have to run their course. Antibiotics won’t help, since chances are, my illness is not bacterial.  However, he will always prescribe them to me if I would desire to take them.

 

This reminded me of the article I recently read in the Cincinnati Enquirer on Chronic Pain Management. Dr. Akbik was quoted as saying, “People want to go to a restaurant and eat everything, then take a tablet to not gain weight. If they’re in pain, they want to take a pill to make it go away.  The concept of us working hard to achieve something has been taken over by “take a tablet and you’ll get what you want.”

 

I happen to think he’s right.  We want to believe that any discomfort and any illness can be easily treated with a pill. Any problem that we have can easily be solved with the right medication.  This mentality keeps the pharmaceutical industry in business.  However, I believe this mentality isn’t healthy for us.

 

When I worked as a therapist, my clients often were prescribed a myriad of medications to help them feel better. They depended on these medications to change their life.  Invariably, I would have a talk with them about changing their lifestyle to include exercise, healthy eating etc.  These changes coupled with medication, could truly make the difference in their lives. However, most of the time, these individuals expected the medications to give them the life they want without making any other needed changes.

 

Let’s be honest here.  Taking a pill is the easy part.  Overhauling your eating, sleeping and exercising, a total lifestyle change, is the hard part.  It takes commitment and discipline hourly and daily.  It will probably be fairly uncomfortable in the short-term but will pay off for you in the long-term.

 

Back to my annoying cough and general lack of energy— this too shall pass. I’ll eat right, try to take it easy and get plenty of rest.  If my symptoms worsen, I’ll definitely consult a doctor.  In the meantime, I believe I’ll have to tough it out and just wait for the virus to run its course.

 

In life,  there isn’t always an easy and instant solution for every problem that you encounter. This one will probably take some patience.