How to deal with life’s little (and big) unexpected moments

And just like that, another week has gone. It has been a bit of an unexpected roller coaster of a week, to say the least, my friends. From the highest of highs as I celebrated my 43rd birthday last weekend, to a few regular days, to a crazy and possibly amazing job offer (of which I will find out more about this evening after a Skype meeting), to some life changing things that got thrown at Lina, which leave us wondering exactly how we want to continue to create + live our life.

Not to sound overly dramatic, But it actually is quite dramatic. Anyway, I do not want to discuss more of it right now, I am sorry; but just know… we are ok. Lina is ok. A big, unexpected change just came into our lives, giving us a bunch of unanswered questions, instead of the slow, stable, rooted life that we thought we were entering right now.

And so goes life.

What’s crazy is that I literally wrote this ↓↓↓ yesterday morning as I tried to get a blog post published (which I never did complete or publish, by the way):

Well, it’s been almost a week now, and the celebrations have slowed down. What celebrations, you might wonder? My birthday, you guys! (in case you didn’t see my excitement on social media or didn’t already know how I’m like an overexcited child when my birthday rolls around). In any case, the  fantastic day has come + gone (and it was faaaaantastic), and now it’s back to regular days.

Actually, it’s back to regular days, in a way, for the first time since June.

After vacations + trips, after visitors from 3 different countries at 3 different times, and after the beginning of routines again, life can suddenly seem a little bit mundane. Especially, when there are no trips planned and no vacation time until the holidays.

So, how do I survive? What do I focus on? What gets me through those regular, ordinary days?

Well, to be honest, I don’t actually feel like I have to survive. I mean, sure, it’s great to know when my next trip somewhere will be, or to have a vacation planned in the future, but I don’t actually need that.

The way to get through is to be aware + inspired by the present moment. It is to enjoy today for today. It is to embrace the season that I find myself in and squeeze out all of the special moments that it brings. Even if they are regular, ordinary moments. You know, it’s really about recognizing that life happens on these days. These are the days + moments that make up our life.

And, right now, in my life, it’s all about this cozy, inward season of autumn. And a feeling of completion. Of course, I can’t bask in the cozy, candlelit nights and sunny days constantly. I have to get up and go to work every day. I have to do what I have to do. But, this is the key: I transform the regular moments into magical ones simply by enjoying them.

So much for regular days, y’all. And the thought that we were settling down and settling in for the autumn lasted for just a couple of hours before everything changed.

Leaving me with this question: How do we deal with the unexpected moments? How do we deal with the things that life throws at us – both good + bad. How do we react to opportunities that excite us, as well as opportunities that freak us out? What the hell do we do when, just when we think that life is settling down and stabilizing so that we can just live those ordinary, mundane moments? What do we do + how do we respond when, in a blink, all of that is just wiped away + we discover that we must begin again?

Well, my loves, we do exactly what I wrote about yesterday (above). We simply keep living through the moments. One at a time. Present and grounded. Sometimes we have to breathe a bit deeper so we don’t freak out or jump too soon or react out of fear/frustration. But, should we choose to, we can sit through the moment. In the moment. Feel it all. See it all. And accept that a new path has been laid out before us, which, in reality, is nothing new. We never know what lies ahead. Life itself is an unknown journey, which is why, if we stay focused on the present, then we move effortlessly into the next phase, the next step, the next moment… trusting that all will be well.

The key to it all, though, in my opinion, is how we choose to respond to everything that happens in life. For me, that’s why a life of slow living, of mindfulness and spirituality, is so important. It means that I seek to live a life of trust and awareness. And, when I live slowly, I also live a bit more intentionally. Therefore, I don’t have to freak out whenever anything, whatever it is, comes my way. I breathe. I ground. And I trust.

And then, I choose to allow the moment be used for something good. To learn something, to be inspired, to think differently, to expand my world, to explore my soul, to realign my life.

This weekend, my love + I are having a dream weekend. We’re gonna stay home, take it slow, rest deeply, dream of what we want, cast visions, and listen to what life is presenting us. There’s no rush.

And with that, my friends, I want to bid you a cozy weekend. I also totally challenge you to think about what kinds of ways you want to create + live your life. Do your dreams and visions match up with how your life actually is? If not, then make that shit happen. No need to wait for big changes or unexpected moments to pull the rug out from under you (though sometimes that is just the blessing in disguise you need). In any case, dream away… and align your life. You are so freaking worth it.

xoxo. liz