Pathwalking 44
The everyday things we readily take for granted can deeply impact Pathwalking. Beyond diversions, beyond distractions, the unexpected and unplanned can cause Pathwalking to seem unimportant. And yet…it still is.
This is the first week, for example, that I am not posting this on Wednesday. After forty-three weeks of timely posts, this one has been delayed. I am displeased about this fact – but there was no alterative. The unexpected interfered.
I live on the East Coast of the United States. While I live probably in the realm of sixty miles northwest of the Atlantic Ocean, my home was in the direct path of Hurricane Sandy. I did not suffer any loss or property damage from the storm…but my home has been without power now for almost 72 hours and counting.
Today was my first opportunity to visit a friend who has both power and the internet, and I am finally able to make this happen. For almost three days I have been left with limited access, a home with no heat due to the loss of power, and my ancient notebook computer holds no charge, so I can’t even write, unless I do so with pen and paper.
My work has been closed due to this storm as well, so I have been feeling not simply diverted from my Path, or forced out of my journey…but it feels as though I am utterly frozen in place. Not only am I not Pathwalking…I am immobile.
This is one of the most intense, but hard to put into words feelings I have ever felt. A combination of this feeling like I am about to jump out of own skin mixed with a sense of dread and loss mixed with frustration mixed with concern and a lack of reason.
I recognize this is an utterly first world problem I have here. I may not have power at our home or work, but we are perfectly healthy, my home has not suffered any damage, and my friends and family are also well. But as I have often said, feelings are not logical, are not always easy to make sense out of, and are sometimes just incomprehensible.
Coping with this bizarre, often conflicting sense of being has been an odd experience. But there are several actions I am taking to deal with this, which can extend beyond the circumstances into all aspects of Pathwalking.
Relax. I have been stressed about the lack of income due to not working. I have been frustrated that I am unable to work on this or any other writing projects due to the reliance on technology for them. I am worried about a costly repair my car will require. But these are all things beyond my control…so I am relaxing, and letting them go. I have done a whole lot of reading. I have been playing many games of cards. I have been relying on my iPhone, which I can charge in my car.
Amazing how hard I find this. I am working to take advantage of this time to simply relax. No burdens. No expectations. I need only to be. I am rather shocked at how hard I find it to simply relax and not being on the go or doing or working or what-have-you. I have mentioned before that rest is needed in Pathwalking – and now I am beginning to see that relaxation is necessary, too.
Improvise. No power at my home means no heat. No ability to cook. No hot showers. No lighting. But we have numerous candles, both real and battery operated, and a charcoal grill we’ve been cooking the contents of our refrigerator on. My girlfriend took our crock-pot, put in a couple candles and the rack out of the toaster oven to boil water. We have blankets for warmth, and layers of clothing and a cat to cuddle with. This is a fine lesson on improvisation which can be applied to all kinds of unexpected situations.
Change the language. Before we lost power, I was on LinkedIn, and read an article from Tony Robbins. In it, he said that one way to change your outlook in life is to change your language. He recommended you take three things you say regularly that are negative, and consciously find alternatives to them. My own three overused words include:
I am irked about ‘x’.
I am feeling tired.
I am feeling off.
All of these were reiterations of more negative phrasing I overused…but the time has come to remove these, too. But this is just the start of changing the language. Rather than being focused on the lack of power and boredom and stir-craziness that can come of this, I am working to refocus on the opportunity to relax and improvise.
I know that in a matter of time, things will return to normal. What is amazing is that in my quest to live a life extraordinary, I am still a creature of habit. The things you take for granted can be so interwoven with your life, whether mundane or exciting, that their lack show you something wholly unexpected. This, too, is part of Pathwalking. How you cope with these unintended matters reflects things you may have neglected, which are an intricate part of your journey.
How do you deal with the loss of things you might take for granted?
This is the forty-fourth entry in my series. These weekly posts are specifically about walking along the path of life, and my desire to make a difference in this world along the way. Thank you for joining me.
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