Why is it that when I have 15 minutes to pick up my son from camp I make it there in 5 minutes and have to listen to his protest the whole way home? ( "Why did you have to pick me up early? I'm always the first to leave!!") That said, if I have 10 minutes to pick up my son from camp, I get stuck behind someone driving a Buick LeSabre who takes the 30 mph speed limit so seriously that they actually drive 25 mph and wouldn't ever dream of speeding up at a yellow light (we hit every red on the way) so I end up being 10 minutes late and have to listen to his protest the whole way home? ("Why were you so late today? I was so lonely sitting there by myself!")
Why is it that I realize that I'm running low on milk and keep forgetting to pick it up each of the 3 times I run out to the store and when I finally get around to using the milk, I find that I'm 1/2 cup short for the recipe? (and by the way, why am I so disorganized these days that I can't get through the week without going grocery shopping 3 times? During the school year I plan the menu/ make the list on Saturday and I shop on Sunday. That's IT).
Why is it that a cloudy morning causes me to choose to slather on SPF 15, but by the time I'm out and about (with no backup sunscreen), the sun makes its appearance and stays out, full force so I get a bit of a sunburn - the day before my dermatologist screening?
I know, I know, these situations happen to any and all of us. That doesn't make it any less frustrating when it happens to me. Rather than whinging, I suppose I'd better get to my point and explain what this has to do with yoga. Murphy's law says that "Anything that can go wrong, WILL go wrong". These aren't necessarily Murphy's Law situations. The pessimistic icon is actually providing encouragement for the rest of us to plan ahead in the event of a less-than ideal outcome. No, my situations all seem to be a product of bad timing.
Yoga teaches us many things, one of which is patience. Anyone would do well to practice a little patience when "bad timing" situations arise. Breathing deep can help you relax a bit and maybe, just maybe, try and see some good in the situation. Patience can help you realize those positives among the negatives a little more readily.
You see, I can take advantage of the "extra steam" to add a spa-like, pore-opening experience to my shower. I can be grateful for the LeSabre driver for holding me up so that maybe I missed a situation that might have caused a mishap or even an accident further up the road. I can be grateful for the opportunity to "experiment" in the kitchen or substitute a lighter alternative (although I must note you can't get much lighter than skim milk) in my crepes.
And what to do about that sunburn? I suppose I should take a cue from the dermatologist and just slather SPF 30 everyday, regardless of cloud cover.
Whatever the situation, try even one deep breath to help you manage the negative outcomes and turn your lemons into lemonade.
We can all waste a great deal of energy on negativity. Instead repeating the mantra "Happiness is what happens" can help you feel more accepting of the here and now. - Liz Lark in "1001 Pearls of Yoga Wisdom"
My friend Jen is so enjoying your blog. And, take a tip from your Grammee. She always had a box of instant/dry milk in her kitchen for such "emergencies". Sometimes she'd mix 1 part whole milk with 1 part dry skim (I hated that) for us to drink (yecch). But I do keep a small box of it in my house for recipe emergencies because milk is a highly consumed commodity with a 13 year old around. Thanks for the good energy!
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