By Sunny Simon
Recently my three year old niece, Alina, performed in her first ballet recital. She did a good job executing the steps, but at times she scampered around as if in search of something. By asking her mother, I discovered Alina was looking for her “X.” Each child was given a color coded X as a home base. The dancers were to return to their assigned X at designated intervals during the number.
Once I understood the dilemma, I could relate. It is not always easy to find your place, whether it be in the auditorium theater or the world’s stage. Without a plan to guide you, day-to-day life can be baffling. There are times when we spin our wheels trying to figure out which path will create the life we desire. In other instances we happily remain in a comfortable destination, then our life shifts. Suddenly we are no longer in the perfect place.
How should we going about sorting this out? Accept the fact that life is full of surprises. Know that your comfort zone will be continually challenged. At times you’ll get knocked off balance or maybe find some other kid standing on your X. No matter how much proactive planning we do, when life throws us a curveball, it is sometimes necessary to change course. There are critical moments when we must take a breath, rethink our strategy and regroup. Sometimes making a left turn is the right thing to do.
Learn to be resilient. Embrace change and remind yourself of the importance of staying flexible. At all times, remain positive. During the dark days, resilient individuals do not allow themselves the glass-half-empty philosophy. It may take some deep digging, but in tenuous situations you find the turning point, the sweet spot that helps launch you in a new direction.
When thrown off course, problem solve on paper. Take a step back and view the situation from a broad perspective. Then jot down creative thoughts and ideas to help you work through unexpected issues. Analyze your top three possibilities, and select the most promising. Once you have decided on a strategy, create an action plan by breaking down what you need to accomplish in bite size pieces.
Lastly, have a little faith. Believe in yourself. Know that it is possible to rebound from challenging situations. Tiny ballerina Alina did not give up until she found her home base. She may have been lost for a moment, but she recovered. When your X becomes hidden, keep searching for the sweet spot that launches you in the right direction.
