Given the choice, we probably would want to be in control of everything that happens in our lives. That’s why we make plans. From short-term to medium-term to long-term plans, we have ideas of what we want to happen, where we want to be, and what we want to be doing at certain points in our lives.
Unfortunately, that’s not how it goes.
When things go wrong in my life, I always think of a funny (yet not-so-positive) line: “When I make plans, the Universe starts laughing.”
When your world spirals out of control, you have two choices:
- Allow yourself to get caught in the whirlpool of panic and/or depression.
- Take a deep breath and do these three simple things that will help you regain a semblance of control, and get through the bad situation – maybe not totally unscathed, but definitely better.
Recognize that every problem has a solution.
It’s a universal truth. No matter what problem you are facing, no matter how desperate your situation may seem, no matter how much your world spirals out of control, there is always a solution. There may even be more than one solution, and it may be a matter of finding the best one.
First, though, you have to get out of that downward spiral, and acknowledge that there is, indeed, a solution to your problem/s. Once you’re in that mindset, you empower yourself. You reject the notion of being a victim, and instead you give yourself a degree of control over what happens next.
Don’t allow your mind go around in circles.
We all have this television in minds, where we see past – and future – events over and over again. When in a bad situation, that television tends to go haywire, replaying scenes which are probably better forgotten or put aside. If you keep replaying those scenes – past and future – you give your mind the permission to go around in circles, which does not get you anywhere.
Thinking these thoughts will only add to your agitation, muddle your mind even more, and not really help you find a solution.
So, instead of giving your mind free reign, why not take a moment (for however as long that moment needs to be), and stop going around in circles. Instead, go back to the first point, and find a workable solution.
Accept how things are.
Acceptance is the key to clarity of mind, and eventually solutions. When your world spins out of control, there are probably factors which you have no power over. Accept that fact instead of fighting it and wallowing in thoughts such as, “Why is this happening?”
What you can do instead is to accept the situation. Accept that there is nothing you can do about certain things, but that you have power over what you do, how you react, and how you execute the solution to your problems.
Wrap up
When our world spins out of our control, we still have the power to determine how we react; and how we react can make the difference between losing it and making it through.
Your choice.
Now, back to you: What do you do when your world spins out of control?
Related reading:
5 Things to Focus on When Your World Turns Upside Down
Originally posted on August 20, 2014 @ 9:00 am
