“Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.” –Wayne Dyer

 

Ultimately, there are always going to be things in life that didn’t pan out as we had, at one time, hoped, wished, and planned for them to.

Whether it’s because you didn’t necessarily end up in the field or the school that you had originally planned on, in the relationship you saw yourself in, in the friend group you thought would last a lifetime, etc. … sometimes life just doesn’t follow the script we had prepared for it.

Often, these detours and alternate routes can be the best thing to happen to us; other times, they can feel like altogether letdowns.

But, the best thing we can do when these situations arise is to come to peace with them.

It’s not always an easy thing to do- of course. Especially if you have had your mind set on a particular outcome… but, life has other ideas in store for you.

So, how are you supposed to achieve a sense of peace with something when it’s not what you anticipated?

Coming to terms with unexpected situations:

1. Acceptance: the first step to finding peace within yourself and a situation, is accepting it for everything it is, instead of harping on everything that it is not. For example, if you are recovering from a break-up from a relationship that you thought was “the one”, how can you come to terms and feel a sense of peace with this? You can find peace by accepting it for what it is. Maybe for you it was nothing more than a learning experience- but that is a great takeaway, if nothing else. You can learn about yourself, what you’re looking for in a partner, what you are willing to compromise on, and what you are not. Maybe it’s not the conclusion you were hoping for, but accepting it for what it is, and walking away from it with even more insight for a different future isn’t necessarily a terrible takeaway.

2. Keeping an open mind: Keeping a clear and open mind allows us potential for far greater experiences- to situations that we may have closed our minds off to previously. When we scrap the strict manual that we feel we must abide to in order for everything to go according to plan, we allow ourselves the freedom to explore new and different options. Options that may be more of a “best fit” for us than our original dreams. As CD Swanson stated,  “sometimes prayers that go unanswered can be blessings in disguise“.

3. Let go of your need to be in control: a lot of times, it can feel very scary to not be in complete control of a situation. Uncertainty is a strange feeling; but that doesn’t make it bad. Open up your mind and heart to the unknown. Learning how to let things flow naturally as they are meant to can serve as a great step towards peace with others, and most importantly, within yourself.

 

-Virginia Johnson

 

Are you struggling with acceptance, finding peace, or are you just interested in talking to someone about things going on in your life because you simply feel that you do not as you should? Sometimes having a partner in your journey can help. Give us a call  to set up a free phone consultation at Life Skills Resource Group Orlando at 407-355-7378, and one of our Orlando Individual Counselors, Orlando Life Coaches, Orlando Teen Counselors, and Orlando Child counselors would be more than happy to help you, a family member, or a friend work on changing your life.