Life doesn’t always work according to our plans. There will be times what we think should happen, doesn’t. Perhaps a client cancels a contract we had high hopes for. Maybe a loved one gets deathly ill or a project we are working on is not turning out at all like we planned.

There are times it may appear as if everything we hoped for comes to a standstill with no apparent explanation. Consider this; when life is outwardly stagnant it’s likely a major internal transition is taking place.

Often, the very things we view as obstacles are the very events that allow us to dig to the depths of our soul to become more of who we are meant to be.

During the times things are not working the way we planned we have the opportunity to put our beliefs to the test.

For example, it’s easy to be grateful when things are going our way and it’s easy to accept life on life’s terms when we get what we want.

    Walking our talk

To see how deep our level of gratitude is all we have to do is notice our response (or reaction) to things not going our way. Do we still feel and express gratitude?

To discover if we really accept life on life’s terms we simply need pay attention to how we act and what we say when things don’t turn out as we thought they should.

Rather than resist why not accept? After all, there’s so much we can’t and don’t know in the present moment. We have no idea what life has in store. Left to our own devices we tend to shortchange ourselves from the greatest gifts life offers.

We will be well served to live with curiosity, wonder and openness.

    Expectations block our serenity

When we try to control all that is going on we raise our expectations of how things need to be. It has been said, “The higher my expectations, the lower my serenity.”

Much of the stress we experience would be minimized if we were to simply relax in the unfolding of what life has in store.

In some ways this is easier said than done. After all, we are a society that has been conditioned to get everything “our way” and get it fast.

“God’s delays are not God’s denials.” I first heard this over twenty years ago. It left such an impression that decades later I find this to be such a powerful statement of truth. Simply because something doesn’t happen when, how and like we think it should does not mean it won’t show up at some point in the future in a much better way than we could have anticipated.

    Happiness secret

One of the most profound secrets to our happiness is to suit up, show up and do the next indicated step. After all, isn’t life simply the process of putting one foot in front of the other and with each step our life is created?

What's been your experience? How do you handle the twists and turns of life?     Comments welcome.

Written by Kathleen Gage
http://www.dailyawareness.com/2011/02/life-1.html#more