Life is as it is….

“Life is as it is.  The only thing we control is our attitude.”  Rolf Gates from Meditations from the Mat.

I came across this passage a couple of days ago while doing my early morning readings and meditation.  It was an “ah ha” moment for me.  I realized that there are times when I try to control the people and/or situations around me.  But since my immersion into yoga teacher training, I am trying to be conscious of this behavior and curtail it.  So when I read this, I realized that it is absolutely true.  I cannot control the people around me, either strangers or friends/family.  They are not there to behave how I would like them to and it would be wrong for me to expect them to behave in a particular manner.

I also cannot always control the situations that surround me.  This became quite evident that very day.  I was working at the local yarn shop and an older lady came in.  Sometimes I can tell right away if the encounter is going to be a good one, or a not-so-good one.   But I always smile and greet them and hope for the best.  I soon realized that whatever I said or suggested, was not going to be what she was looking for.  What’s a person to do??  I remembered what I had read that morning, that the only thing I CAN control is my ATTITUDE.  I thought maybe she was experiencing something difficult in her life, so I just continued to be polite and helpful and didn’t want to make our encounter unpleasant.  After all, what good is that?  In the end, she made a small purchase and did leave with a thank-you and a smile.  To me, that is more of an accomplishment than selling her a large amount of yarn.

I will continue to practice this, and while I know not every situation will end successfully, I’m hoping more do than do not.

Namaste,

Sheri