the events that never happened (or a case of wasted worry)
certainty is never part of anyone's existence. we are surprised, pleasantly or otherwise, on a regular basis. i've found this to be especially true since moving to italy. i just never really know exactly what is going on. and as a result, anxiety tends to spike up at inopportune times. last thursday and friday, i had three events on my schedule that were to be new experiences for me. and i spent the hours leading up to each one with eager anticipation, and a side of dread. i prepared as much as i could, mentally and physically, for all three. i was excited, yet nervous and scared at the same time. (honestly, i hadn't even grasped the actual purpose of two of them. with almost everything in this new life of mine, i often have only a vague understanding of what's going on. and then the language barrier interferes - primarily due to my incomplete knowledge of it - and i either have to fill in the blanks myself, or just wait to see what happens. it's an interesting way to live.) so the time inevitably led up to the first event . . . and guess what? due to unforeseen circumstances, i ended up having to postpone it. so it was on to the second . . . and it was cancelled. by the time the third event rolled around, i had this funny feeling . . . yep, sure enough, the scheduled plans fell through at the last minute! and you know, it was kind of laughable. here i'd spent the better part of two days looking forward to these events, yes, but also senselessly worrying about them. for NO reason. because they NEVER HAPPENED. i suspect i'm not the only person who has done this. but WHY do we put ourselves through the agony? two of the three events were rescheduled. one is still to come (this friday), but i'm feeling much less trepidation about it. and the other i've already successfully lived through! it had its uncomfortable moments (which is exactly what i'd feared), but overall it was okay. in fact, it was better than okay. i could only respond with smiles and nods, a lot of "si"s, and an occasional italian phrase. but it was productive and even (dare i say?) fun. so i'm wondering . . . have YOU ever experienced a real-life version of this quote by mark twain? "i've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened." more seriously, it's worth noting this familiar bit of wisdom: "worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles. it takes away today's peace." i repeat some form of this over and over to my clients, but i still fall prey to it myself at times. "do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. keep in the sunlight." (benjamin franklin) one thing i try to do every single day, in part to relieve my (sometimes unnecessary) tension, is to practice the beautiful healing art of qi gong. i also love the beneficial effects of walking.
what is your go-to remedy to "keep in the sunlight?" *******
THE ARRIVAL
TUSCANY, ITALY | MAY 20-25, 2018
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