Recently I’ve had a couple of people seem exasperated with me because I appear so calm and keep happiness in the forefront of my life. It was suggested that I must not have any responsibilities or stresses, lol. Another one suggested the way I live and work is a luxury (I give myself lots of time to figure things out, instead of reacting to every ’emergency’). Well, it better be this way or I’m doing something terribly wrong in my opinion.
The truth is that I don’t like being stressed. I stop and figure out what to do. Sometimes, there is no answer and I have to wait. I still do my fun stuff because that is the joy of life.
Once I had my suitcase sent off to the wrong location while I was just starting a holiday after a business trip out east. The friend I was visiting was furious and said I should be yelling at the hotel on the phone. That was weird to me. I figured I’d get it. After a couple of days, realizing it wasn’t happening yet (it kept being sent to the wrong places!), I had to go out and buy everything (toothbrush, clothes – I bought nice stuff I’d wear not cheap stuff, a small camera, a new suitcase to carry them – everything I needed to enjoy my holiday as planned). I had to put it on a credit card of course.
When I returned home I sent the hotel all my receipts with a clear and commanding letter requesting to be reimbursed for my unexpected costs and detailing all of the actions they’d erroneously taken for my suitcase to keep travelling without me. They sent me a cheque for the total amount without delay. Later my original suitcase was found and sent to me a couple of weeks later. So as luck would have it, I now had 2 of everything! I hadn’t even thought of that.
So yeah, I use the ‘stay calm and carry on approach’ as much as possible. Honestly the world could collapse, and you’d find me quiet and considering what to do. Everyone else is welcome to freak out if they must – but they might miss out on the incredible joy and wonder of life.
Stay in the moment, do what you can, and let go of the rest. If immediate action is required, take it. And keep finding reasons to smile. New opportunities and people who love you do show up. Meanwhile, quiet can be a good place to be when you’re figuring out what is right, noticing who chooses to be there for you, and what are the next steps. And when there’s silence, bask in it. It won’t last forever.
