Day 1081: The right way

Do you ever notice yourself (or others) getting stuck on the right way to …

• reach a destination, by car or otherwise?
• perform a particular task?
• move towards a goal?
• try something new?
• express yourself?
• interact with other people?
• do every big and little thing?

While it can be helpful to weigh options and choose a good-enough next step, focusing too much on “the right way” can lead to

• over-thinking,
• procrastination,
• stagnation,
• confusion,
• time wasting,
• frustration,,  and
• self-criticism.

Am I creating this blog post the right way, this Thursday morning?   And, are you stuck in thoughts about doing something the “right way”  as you’re reading it?

Did I take these photos the right way?

 

I think the right way to proceed, now,  is to tell you that the most righteous photo in that batch was taken by my boyfriend Michael (shown holding a Star Wars action figure the right way, above).

Which photo is it that Michael took the right way?  The right way to let me know is to comment below.

Before I end this post the right way (with gratitude), here’s something I wrote to friends last night:

I’ve decided today that I am not going to be making a fool of myself when I try out for The Voice in February. That’s a win already!

Right-way thanks to Michael, cats and other creatures, people with compassion, and you — of course! — no matter what next thing you choose to do.

Day 537: Barriers and Obstacles

Yesterday, barriers and obstacles  were very much on my mind.

What are the barriers to our getting what we want or need?  What obstacles get in the way of our moving forward, and why?  How do we judge ourselves and others, when we encounter these?  And are there other, more helpful ways to view these situations?

As usual, when something is on my mind, I see evidence and examples, everywhere I look.

Barriers sometimes get in the way of seeing clearly, figuring out what’s ahead:

Sometimes, we just can’t figure out what’s there, no matter how we look at it:

No matter what’s in front of you, there’s no shame in asking for more information, or other types of help.

Some obstacles can appear suddenly, leaving no room to proceed as planned:

With other unexpected obstacles, sometimes we can see a way to stay our course, by slightly altering our steps.

 

Obstacles can seem different, depending upon our perspective:

For example, stairs are more tiring for me these days, so I see them differently. However, the stairs are the same as they ever were.  I just need to go more slowly, negotiating them.

 

Something might stop us, temporarily:

But if we wait patiently, and proceed with care, we can keep moving forward.

Sometimes, people might seem to be blocking our way.

However, we might be over-rating a person’s importance and permanence, in our lives.

If we give somebody too much power, we might lose track of what surrounds us.

 

Speaking for myself, I tend to focus on problematic people — their thoughts, their actions, the harm they might possibly do.

It helps to let go of worry about that (and other things):

It also helps to focus on supportive people around you:

… even if you can’t come up with many names, initially.  Chances are, there’s a team nearby

… even if they’re difficult to recognize, at first.

Sometimes, obstacles can block our ability to see the most obvious things around,

but going a short distance can help us see more of what’s there.

And while there might be lots of things telling us not to proceed,

… sometimes we just have to cross a line, and keep on going.

Thanks to all those who deal with barriers and obstacles as best they can, to supportive people everywhere (named Mark or otherwise),  to the guys at my parking garage (who have told me that bird poop on my car is lucky), to creatures that poop, to anybody who needs help interpreting anything I ever write or say (because of inevitable barriers to communication), and to you — especially! — for overcoming any obstacles to get here, today.