Random connecting thoughts

Following on from the events of last week I have spent much time pondering how we react to such events. First of all we start to adapt what we do and how we do things. This is essential for survival of course. Often we find we have to compromise by doing different things that we had put on one side for a later time and then of course there is the finding of other ways of doing things.

But these thoughts also bring me to the way we lead our lives. I don’t personally know any one whose life has gone smoothly. We all seem to have times when there are hitches or delays or when we have to change our plans. This is life of course and how we deal with all the hitches and changes is what makes us unique because we don’t all work in the same way. What works for one person does not necessarily work for another.

Looking back at my life I can see many times when I have had to change course as it were. Unexpected events, unexpected results of exams and unexpected changes of jobs are just a few of these. In most cases I either adapted to the changes or found ways of dealing with them that took me in another direction. This of course explains my varied academic achievements from music to science! I have found my life to be a very long learning curve.

What has your life been like? How do you adapt to unforeseen changes or events? Do you compromise in difficult situations? Do you continue to learn each day?

My restrictions on walking this week took me to a tiny garden planted by the residents of that street and called the Jubilee Garden. It won awards over several years and was hard for me to find until the shrubs were pruned and I realised what it was, a little gem in the midst of houses. I might not have found this had my walking not been restricted.

 

Acceptance and compromise

Acceptance is something we possibly do not actually think about but just accept things as and when. But acceptance is about accepting things as they are in reality and it is not always an easy thing to do. Acceptance can also be the key to finding happiness. But let us take a look at what kind of things we accept without question. We accept our families and what they do generally, we accept the fact that we have food and clothes and other things which we consider to be essential to our lives. But what happens when something happens that we find hard to accept? This can be when a friend or family member decides they no longer wish to part of that group, or when illness strikes and you do not want to accept that this will change your life.

There is a saying about acceptance –  change what you can change and accept the things you can’t change. So this brings in the idea of compromise. So how do you compromise? In this sense, compromise is about finding ways to learn to live with whatever it is that you cannot accept. Where I am concerned, this has meant that I have had to accept the fact that I can no longer climb or walk in the mountains but that does not stop me from enjoying the natural world via books, films and other means and also enjoying the short trips out into the countryside by car. I have also had to learn how to do things in the home without making the pain worse and this again is a kind of compromise. I get people to help with the things I can’t do easily by myself but I have learned how to adapt to working in the kitchen and preparing food.

But it is very hard to accept some of these things that are happening in my life. Some days it seems easier than on other days but even though my spiritual beliefs as a druid keep me going, I still find some things very difficult. Being an indoor druid is totally different from being one who can go outside whenever they wish and work with the trees. I work with the trees in my memory when I can’t get near to one but when out I do love to give them hugs and appreciate their healing energy. Being housebound, however, has made me appreciate so much more the things I used to be able to do and also appreciate it more now when someone takes me out.

How do you feel about acceptance and compromise and have you ever been in that position where it is really hard?