Thursday, March 12, 2009

Enjoying the Journey

My sister and I were talking recently about how we each stress and worry about things even things we enjoy doing. We realize that when we obsess this way we deprive ourselves of all the good in the experience.

For example, my sister decided she was going to go on vacation this summer. Immediately after making that decision, she began worrying about how she will be able to afford it, how could she find somewhere within her budget and on and on.

Instead of visualizing the many places whe could go or how great it would feel to take time off from work she was stressing, worrying and obsessing. Her daughter pointed this negative behavior out to her and suggested she take a breath and enjoy the process. To begin, my sister could check out vacation spots on the web, cut out pictures of vacation spots from magazines, talk to coworkers about their recent vacations.

This technique of enjoying the process can also be aplied to every day activities as well. My sister has a rental property that she has been getting inquires about. She can choose to get overwhelmed by the many calls and numerous showings she has to do with prospective renters. She also can choose to feel good that she will be ale to offer a family a safe, beautiful, comfortable housing. She can choose to view the rental application process as an opportunity to meet different people which is something that has always brought her joy. She can choose to be grateful that she has many applicants to choose from increasing the chances she will find the right tenant for her property.

In sum, she can enjoy the process. It is not about pretending or stifling your real feelings. It is about really looking at what is before you and see clearly what is authentically.

When you change the way you look at a thing, the thing you look at changes. Every time. Guaranteed.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This has also been a struggle for me as you know. You could have been talking about me or anyone else I suppose , but I tend to look at the hurdles instead of just enjoying the "jump" so to speak. I enjoy your Journey writings as they not only give me food for thought but inspire me to want to change!

Luv Yah!

TAHIRA Akua TAHIRA said...

Debbie:

I really like your analogy of "looking at the hurdles instead of enjoying the jump." That is a perfect description of how we can get immobilized by the challenges in front of us. Thanks for your comment and your praise of my blog. It means a great deal to me.

Linda B said...

This was really nice. I never really understood what a blog was, now that I've read yours, I'll check it out on a regular basis.

By the way...... I really enjoyed the process of showing our rental property. I met a lot of very interesting people. When it was all done, I called everyone back and thanked them for their time and interest.

TAHIRA Akua TAHIRA said...

Linda,

That was so considerate of you to call all of the prospective tenants and thank them for their time and interest. You are truly enjoying the journey . What an inspiration you are.