The Unexpected is Unavoidable
Things happen because that’s how the Universe works.
At the end of 2025, I had an awful experience. I developed an abscess on my inner thigh that became infected. After a day of discomfort and spiking a fever, this sent me to the ER, which in turn put me in the hospital for 2 days of IV antibiotics.
That was unexpected. But it happened. And I’m mostly recovered from the experience now.
This past weekend, we got more snow than I’ve seen in years. This part of the country does get snow, but not usually quite this much. We didn’t try clearing the snow from the driveway or sidewalks while it was coming down, and now we have a sheet of ice on the top that will break our shovels. Because of the surreal amount of snow we got, we can’t find a service to help us clear things, so our driveway is only barely clear enough to get our cars out.
The snow wasn’t unexpected, but the aftermath was. The sidewalks still need to be cleared, and hiring someone is proving quite the challenge.
Then, yesterday, I strained something in my arm while shoveling. As if that wasn’t enough, later in the evening, I carelessly tried to cut some bread with a knife, and because I didn’t pay attention to the surface the bread was on, as I should have, the knife slipped and skipped across the top of my other hand. The new, sharp knife, which cut me. My wife and I have bandaged things up, but this is still impeding me.
All of this is proof that the unexpected is unavoidable. And that is not a statement about who you, as a person, are.
Life is always in motion
One of the main reasons that the unexpected is unavoidable is because change is the one and only constant in the Universe. While some elements and types of change are yours to work with and alter, the majority just are. They happen. Shit happens. And like it or not, you will experience the unexpected as a result of that.
One of the things I like about where we live is that winters are typically not too snowy, with temperatures during the day around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, maybe dipping into the upper 20s after sunset. Currently, we’re seeing single-digit temperatures during the day and a significant amount of snow covering the ground.
Climate change is why this is the way it is. This, of course, is another form of change that we have very little control over. (Note – we have SOME control, by being conscious of the water and power we consume, recycling, and being mindful of our individual environmental footprint).
When all is said and done, life is always in motion. The unexpected can and will find you and impact you. The unexpected is unavoidable. However, nothing that happens unexpectedly is because you’re a bad person, the Universe is out to get you, or some other sign any lack of worth on your part.
The unexpected just is
For many people, when the unexpected hits, it feels as if you have someone or something fucking with you. This is especially true when things pile on. The unexpectedly high electric bill, followed by the unplanned car repair, coupled with your partner getting laid off, then that twinge in your elbow making you miserable whenever you move your arm, can certainly feel like you’re being punished.
But you’re not. The Universe, or God, or the Powers That Be, or whatever, doesn’t have it out for you. It all just is. Shit happens. Change is constant and always happening, and you live amid the swirly eddies of its chaos.
The unexpected is unavoidable. It is not, however, your fault, your punishment, your Karma. That certainly doesn’t give you carte blanche to be unkind, treat people poorly, kick puppies, and the like. What it gives you is room to forgive yourself and be less harsh toward yourself.
After cutting myself with the knife, I became upset. That was stupid. I’m stupid. How could I be so careless? What the hell? How could I do that to myself? Typical, idiotic move. Nice going, dumbass.
Not nice, right? Would you let someone else address you that way? I wouldn’t. So why do I take it from myself? The unexpected happened, and while maybe I should have been more cautious, it happened because it happened. That’s life.
No matter who you are, what you do, or where you come from, you will make mistakes, experience unwanted happenings, and find that the unexpected is unavoidable for no reason other than that’s just how it is.
However, after things happen, you have a choice.
Deal with the unexpected or not
The initial reaction after something happens is often utterly out of your control. The visceral, of the moment anger, frustration, fear, dissatisfaction, or whatever, just is. Various and sundry things lead us to react in our own ways when shit happens.
However, once the initial happening has passed, what comes next is a choice. You can allow it to throw you off and make you feel bad, you can stand aside and let it happen as it happens, or you can choose to learn from it and move on.
After dealing with the abscess, I’m making some changes to my hygiene routine and paying more attention to my body. Following this snowfall, my wife and I are trying to find a service to help us clear this and future occurrences. Going forward, I’ll be more cautious about the cutting surface under whatever it is I’m cutting.
Yes, I’m still fighting a sense that I’m being somehow punished or paying a karmic debt with this shit. However, I’m also actively working to be mindful and combat those thoughts with growth and lessons learned. I’m working on dealing with the unexpected rather than letting it derail me.
This is where applied active conscious awareness – mindfulness – comes in. To deal, I’m looking more closely at what I’m thinking, what and how I’m feeling, what my intentions are, the positivity or negativity of my approach, and my actions. I can choose to direct and alter these as needed after the unexpected happens.
This is a work in progress. I hope that by sharing with you how I’m working with the unavoidable unexpected, you and I will better handle such things when they happen next.
How do you deal when the unexpected comes your way?
This is the seventh-hundred-thirty-sixth (736) exploration of my Pathwalking philosophy. These weekly essays are my ideas for – and experiences with – applying mindfulness and positivity to walk along a chosen path of life to consciously create reality.
I share this journey as part of my desire to make a difference in this world and empower as many people as I can with conscious reality creation.
Thank you for joining me. Feel free to repost and share this.
The first year of Pathwalking, including expanded ideas, is available here.
Also, please check out my author website for the rest of my published fiction and nonfiction works.
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