Adjust the Sails

Photo by Susiebloom

Hello Dear Friend and Fellow Bloomer,

April showers have brought May flowers, and I'm loving it! Flowers, in all their marvelous varieties, make this world so much more beautiful and pleasant. "Nothing ever seems impossible in spring, you know," writes L.M. Montgomery in her book Anne of Ingleside. The main character, Anne, is one of my favorites in all of literature. Her imagination, courage, and determination have inspired me since I was a teenager. She certainly understood the value - even necessity - of adjusting the sails as you navigate through life. Cora L.V. Hatch is credited with sharing this idea first in 1859 while giving a lecture at the Cooper Institute.

"We can't control the wind, but we can adjust the sails."

Sara Blakely, American businesswoman and founder of the company Spanx, wrote, "There will always be wind. In business, life, relationships, goals, vacations, etc...there will always be wind! And like so many things in life, we can't control the wind. But we can learn how to respond to it. And it's always a choice. We can complain about the wind, we can wish and hope that it changes, or...we can adjust the sails. Life is full of obstacles and resistance. The measure of true success is never about victory or perfection...it's how good are you are at navigating the ever changing winds."

The "winds" represent the external influences in our lives in whatever form they appear. Challenging circumstances will come. It is 100% certain. In this life we face opposition. It's essential for our development and growth. Sometimes we get to enjoy smooth sailing on calm waters, and oh how blissful those moments are! But inevitably rough waves rise up, storms come, and our sails get battered, tattered and torn in the process. We adapt. We float for a while if necessary. We learn patience and become resilient.

Resilience is the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties. In the little book of RESILIENCE by Hardie Grant Quadrille I read the following ideas:

• The unexpected is always to be expected.

• Research teaches that how we respond to troubling situations depends significantly on the degree of control we believe we have. If you have a tendency to feel immediately overwhelmed by adversity, get in the habit of deconstructing events to work out what you can control - and what you can't."

• Practice separating the difficult event from your response to it. Is your reaction making the event worse? How can you respond in a calm and practical way to improve the situation?

  Practice putting dismal events into perspective. Is the disaster really a calamity or is it just a hiccup? What are you actually able to control?

  Practice concentrating on the process not the outcome. Understand that there are some things completely outside your control. Concentrate instead on what you can do within the confines of the unknown.

I'm not suggesting that "adjusting the sails" is easy. I am learning to move through the storms of life with patience and resilience myself! I am always searching for more ways to be calm under pressure, bounce back, and press forward! Some fantastic resilience promoting mantras (sail adjustment techniques, if you will) that little Quadrille book offers are:

• I am in charge of the problem; the problem is not in charge of me.

• I can overcome obstacles.

• I will not let small irritations overwhelm me.

• I am capable, strong, and flexible.

• I am ready to face challenges big and small.

• I will find the positives in the pain.

• What doesn't defeat me fortifies me.

• I am resourceful. I am optimistic. I am successful.

• With courage I will continue.

• I am brave. I am strong. I will be okay.

"The joy of being resilient is that once the hard times have passed and you are still standing, everyday beauty becomes all the more exquisite."

Joanna Gray

Adjusting the sails is blooming where you're planted. No matter how the winds blow in our lives, let's choose to adjust our sails, do our best not to capsize, and...sail on!

Keep blooming!