Do you ever feel overwhelmed at trying to get from Point A to Point B? You know, all those pesky mini goals you must hit, in order to finally arrive at your main goals? I would describe myself as fairly goal oriented. I have list upon list of measurable mini goals that help get from Point A to Point B in many areas of my life. I’ve made a pretty decent amount of progress this year towards most of these goals. So, why do I get incredibly frustrated when I hit a bump in the road or hit a major road block? Sometimes I can let frustrations roll off my back, shrug it off, and keep pushing. Other times, I feel like I’ve suddenly used up all of my coping skills and have zero resiliency left in my tanks. Talk about a major swing in attitude and emotions!
I had a major disappointment occur this year. Of course, I wasn’t expecting it. Didn’t plan for it. I was positive things could NOT go in that direction. But they did. My initial gut reaction was, “Why did this happen? I worked so hard to avoid this outcome.” And just as I think those thoughts, they are followed by, “Well, that’s not completely accurate…I DID work hard, but I didn’t give it my best.” So, where do I go from here, what can I learn from this? What can I do differently next time?
Well, I am human. I’m going to get down, feel a little bit sorry for myself, maybe even play the it’s not fair card. And I WILL feel those feelings, emotions, and have those thoughts. Here’s the deal though. I can’t stay there. It’s not productive. It’s not good for my head. I know God wants more for me. He wants me to thrive. He wants me to be the BEST version of me. He wants me to make full use of the skills, gifts, talents, tools, opportunities, keys, etc. that he has given me. So…I get up, brush the dust off, pray, and brainstorm how to do things differently. And while I do that, I’ll also be praying for eyes to see other opportunities to do things differently. To make changes and adjust. Because bottom line…I don’t want to miss what God has for me or my family. I mean, isn’t it truly amazing to look back once in a while and see God’s goodness and provision? He has never let me down. Maybe I should do that more often. Look back. Take stock. And be grateful. Seeing his provision, hindsight, builds faith and trust.
So, with frustration, disappointment, and whole lot of determination, I will start again at square one with this issue. But I won’t ever be alone. God is the giver of dreams, yet he has never promised us our journey would be an easy one. Over the years, I have heard success defined in many different ways. If it involves change and growth, as I believe it does, then perhaps I will experience a success in the midst of such frustrating set backs. Temporary set backs. 🙂
