WHEN LIFE HANDS
YOU LEMONS
SHOT ON LOCATION AT THE FAIRMONT ROYAL YORK
IN GENEROUS PARTNERSHIP WITH ALPHA INDUSTRIES
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK LEE / BESTOFTORONTO
Its no new concept that nothing in life goes as planned. And while the degree of planning that people do can definitely vary, the one thing thats always certain, as they say, is that nothing in certain. And sometimes, when things don't go according to a plan, its for the better. For example, I was initially planning on proposing to Monika on May 5, 2014, which was a Monday (and ended up being a cold and rainy day). But when her family confirmed that they couldn't make it down in May, but could definitely make April happen, I had to change around everything last minute. But it was a blessing - April 5 was a Saturday, and it was a beautiful clear day, perfect for my outdoor proposal, complete with fireworks.
So yes, life has shown me that alleviating from a plan isn't always such a bad thing. But of course, this example of things not going to plan is an extraordinary case of serendipity. Usually, in regular life, when stuff doesn't go according to plan, it usually feels more like a curveball rather then a small bump in the road. Lately, it seems that life has been a steady stream of those curveballs. We make a plan, with an expected outcome, and life keeps throwing this stuff directly our way, taunting us to make it work with the original plan, or to give up completely and come up with a new one.
So then what? Do you throw yourself a pity party? Update a Facebook status about all the unplanned things happening? Do you make a new plan immediately? What is the best response? I can't speak for everyone, but what I have learnt lately is to plan less, and take a step back sometimes. Let things happen as they should, or as they will, and don't get too tied down in the details of it all.
When life hands you lemon, leave them on the counter. Don't make lemonade, don't exchange them for something else. What I have been really working on is realizing that we can't control everything, and we don't have to.
The approach I am taking to life lately is as follows: make goals for sure, set some things in motion, absolutely. But what happens when things change, when curveballs come, when the unexpected becomes a reality? Instead of stressing, freaking, re-planning, and spending precious energy thinking of all the possibilities, I am learning to step back and actively give up control of an uncontrollable reality of life.
In the true spirit of "un-planning", I'm sure this current strategy might change too. But for now, I have been finding peace in its principle.
How do you handle life's curveballs? Are you a planner? Do you let things go with the flow?
