The Way
We've Made it to Frid-YAY!
I've been thinking about "The Way" over the past 24 hours. What do you mean by "The Way" you ask? I think of it as the way we think our lives are supposed to go, or the way we assume our lives are going to turn out. Putting thought into "The Way" is good and healthy as it helps us set goals, find a starting point, and step out in a particular direction, but it's also important that we stay flexible with The Way. If we can't stay flexible, what happens when things don't turn out as we'd expected? What happens if The Way needs to change because of circumstance or necessity?
How can we balance The Way we feel our lives should go with the ability to adapt and change to the many curveballs in life? If I had the definitive answer to this question, I'd be rich, (or maybe just famous!). Regardless of the fact that I don't have all the answers, I think that it's an important question to investigate.
Our Way is usually determined by our likes and dislikes, our morals and values, our beliefs that we hold about the world and ourselves, and our interests and passions. It is also influenced by the people we meet and those that we are closely connected to. This understanding of who we are as people - at the basic level - can usually stay pretty consistent no matter what life serves up (like a pandemic), but the things that happen to us might change the way we do the things we do.
A really good and simple example that I personally have experienced is when we learned my Daughter was Deaf (she was a year old). Her diagnosis didn't change the person I am, but it did require me to become more flexible in the way I communicate. I started to learn American Sign Language! How well we adapt to curveballs has an impact on our mental health. When we can't adapt, or we become rigid in our thinking - unable to recognize that a change in The Way is an inevitable part of life - it can harden us. It can be a very uncomfortable place to be.
I think we have to imagine it like a sea-saw - always looking to find the balance between going along our on our Way and staying flexible as it bends and curves. So many things in life are a balance, and recognizing this and rolling with it, is a key to overall happiness and emotional wellness. A key to managing the balancing act is to periodically evaluate your personal beliefs, values, and interests that keep you moving on your Way, and then stay open to new ideas and pathways that reveal themselves. Try to view them as opportunities for learning and growth which might lead you in new and exciting Ways!
There was a movie a few years back called, The Way, which told the story of a man who walked the
I've been thinking about "The Way" over the past 24 hours. What do you mean by "The Way" you ask? I think of it as the way we think our lives are supposed to go, or the way we assume our lives are going to turn out. Putting thought into "The Way" is good and healthy as it helps us set goals, find a starting point, and step out in a particular direction, but it's also important that we stay flexible with The Way. If we can't stay flexible, what happens when things don't turn out as we'd expected? What happens if The Way needs to change because of circumstance or necessity?
How can we balance The Way we feel our lives should go with the ability to adapt and change to the many curveballs in life? If I had the definitive answer to this question, I'd be rich, (or maybe just famous!). Regardless of the fact that I don't have all the answers, I think that it's an important question to investigate.
Our Way is usually determined by our likes and dislikes, our morals and values, our beliefs that we hold about the world and ourselves, and our interests and passions. It is also influenced by the people we meet and those that we are closely connected to. This understanding of who we are as people - at the basic level - can usually stay pretty consistent no matter what life serves up (like a pandemic), but the things that happen to us might change the way we do the things we do.
A really good and simple example that I personally have experienced is when we learned my Daughter was Deaf (she was a year old). Her diagnosis didn't change the person I am, but it did require me to become more flexible in the way I communicate. I started to learn American Sign Language! How well we adapt to curveballs has an impact on our mental health. When we can't adapt, or we become rigid in our thinking - unable to recognize that a change in The Way is an inevitable part of life - it can harden us. It can be a very uncomfortable place to be.
I think we have to imagine it like a sea-saw - always looking to find the balance between going along our on our Way and staying flexible as it bends and curves. So many things in life are a balance, and recognizing this and rolling with it, is a key to overall happiness and emotional wellness. A key to managing the balancing act is to periodically evaluate your personal beliefs, values, and interests that keep you moving on your Way, and then stay open to new ideas and pathways that reveal themselves. Try to view them as opportunities for learning and growth which might lead you in new and exciting Ways!
There was a movie a few years back called, The Way, which told the story of a man who walked the
Camino de Santiago, a popular pilgrimage in the 10th, 11th, and 12th centuries. In the movie, the main character uses his time on the Camino to rediscover himself. The idea of this kind of personal pilgrimage has always appealed to me - whether it be a physical tangible thing such as a walk, or a more mental-emotional journey one might take towards personal discovery. It's something to consider. I like thinking of life as a constant journey of self-discovery where you have directions and goals, but you stay open to the experiences life brings you along the way.
Please enjoy your Way this weekend!
Mrs. Hempey
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