~~The best things in life happen unexpectedly. The best stories begin with "and, all of the sudden..." The best adventures were never planned as they turned out to be. Free yourself from expectations. The best will come when and from you least expect it.~~ Unknown
Life surprises us. I often read here how a crave "came from nowhere" and how some unexpected event made someone reach for cigarettes again.
I say it's time to turn the tables. Don't let life take you by surprise. Surprise life instead.
You can, you know. When life takes an unexpected turn, you can also take an unexpected turn. Embrace it. Embrace the negative feelings and let them flow. Embrace the sudden turn of events. Nod your head at the unexpected.
That may sound silly, I know. But life is going to happen. We will lose people we love, we will get that diagnosis, we will lose a job. No one WANTS to, of course. But it happens.
And we used to hide from life as we lit up. Smoking gave us a wall from life. We didn't have to feel anything when we were actively addicted. Just the relief as that nicotine hit our brains. And then when we quit, we are left dangling in the air as life hits us from all sides. What are we to do except retreat once again behind a cloud of smoke?
I say embrace life. The daily grind, the unexpected, the anticipated, the best of it and the worst of it. Take life by surprise. Respond in an unexpected way. Buck up rather than crumble. Get through it rather than avoid. Feel it rather than reject it. Conquer it rather than allow it to conquer you.
Life just is. Period. We get to make it ours. In order to do that, we need to not sit passively by and allow life to beat us up. We need to get actively involved, understand ourselves, and squeeze every ounce out of life we can. Live it. Fully. Totally. Completely.
Enjoy,
Sheri
