Have you ever felt lost and frustrated because something had messed up your routine?
Well if so, you will know just how I have been feeling for the last few days.
I have had a very frustrating few days when I couldn’t get into my blog’s dashboard to publish my next post.
A technical problem meant that some files got corrupted and it then took 3 days for it all to be resolved, thanks to help from DreamHost and my friend Satish.
Have you ever gone through a time when nothing seems to go right and you just wish you had stayed in bed all day? I know I am labouring my point here now, but I wish I had done just that.
I missed being able to access my blog and it was as if I had lost a long lost friend. And this morning after getting the blog sorted, I felt I could kick-start my life again.
I realise more than ever just how important this blog is to me and why it is a key medium for sharing my message.
But what was really going on here? Why did it feel like my life had stopped? The key was I allowed this downtime to frustrate me to such an extent that my energy got drained.
So today I began to draft this post and there I was sitting in the shared business lounge where I occasionally work from.
Someone passed by me, looking very puzzled and a bit lost. I asked if he was okay and he said there were no glasses at the drinks station.
I pointed out to him how the drinking glasses were neatly stacked right in front of us on a shelf at eye level!
Instead of looking up, he had been looking down and searching for the glasses near the hot water kettle. All he had to do was to look up and find the answer to his search.
Even though this gentleman was not wearing any glasses, he simply had to look ahead and clearly what he was looking for was just there.
In the same way, so often your answers are there literally in your face.
For me, in hindsight it’s obvious that my blog downtime was actually a blessing in disguise and it was an opportunity to focus on other work and take stock of my writing style.
In your life too, what’s so obvious and yet you are not seeing?
Here’s a challenge for you today. Take just one area of your life in which you are currently facing a challenge. Or choose an area of your life that you wish to review. It doesn’t even have to be anything major either.
Then look at this from a different perspective. If the answer was right in front of you, what would it be?
Let me explain further – when I am coaching a client and they say “I don’t know”, I sometimes ask them what would the answer be, if they did know?
This usually draws on a lot of the client’s subconscious mind and usually draws out quite creative answers.
In the same way, your answer could be facing you – you just have to ask yourself what it is.
And next time you are looking for some answers, just slow down and look ahead. What you seek is right in front of you.
You don’t even need to look through “rose tinted” glasses – meaning that just see things as they are – no need for embellishment.
Cheers! Ching, Ching.
Image courtesy of Patrick Hoesly
Really good post for awakening the mind to our subconscious pushings and pullings. I know what those days are like and I can’t imagine how disconnected you must have felt when your blog was down. Digital breaks are good. I’m feeling the need for one myself to get me looking at things more clearly and from a different, fresh perspective. Good thing I have a holiday coming up on the beach. Laptops and sand, don’t mix. Thanks for this insight, Arvind.
Katie, it feels good ot be reconnected and the digital break has done me good.
Keep us posted about your new perspective – and enjoy the holiday.
I have seen people on beaches with laptops. Maybe the IPAD is sandproof:-)
Arvind,
So that what it is was, I sent an email too as I thought everything was so quite, wondering if you were okay. I am glad that site issues got resolved.
I goofed up recently when I was trying to upgrade to word press 3.0 and my whole site was down or screwed up for a few hours! Thanks to Zenguy it is all fixed. Now I am relaxed so I can imagine how you must be feeling. Glad to have your site and you both back!
Preeti, I too recently upgraded to 3.0 – and luckily it all went really smoothly.
And thanks for your email of concern – I was most touched.
It is the things that we see so often and take for granted that we finally do not see. Our perception of the truth and what we expect it to be puts those special filters on our eyes. When I say the word cat, most of us see a nice independent furry four legged animal but a drug addict sees it as a fix to their problem. Is a glass half full or half empty? Again depends on your outlook on life. I enjoyed the little bit of art school I attended as it made me really look and see. Similar to going to a game reserve for the first time because you cannot see the animals even though they are right in front of you. Look and you will see, seek and you will find.
Andre, welcome to my blog and thanks for your insightful thoughts. It is what we expect to see and thats what we find. On a broader level, we usually get what we visualise and focus on.
Everyone glass is always half full, in fact it is brimming over, if only they cared to see it that way.
I often tell people when they ask how I am, “Great if I have any problems I’ve brought them on myself!” I travel often to visit family and friends. Once in a while I get in a blog neglect panic. I quickly remind myself what is important in life and my blog isn’t in the top 3.
Tess, thanks for sharing your philosophy about tackling problems and accepting responsibility.
You have also reminded me to be more relaxed about my blog and my writing schedule. Sometimes I get into a panic about not having written much or the quality not being good enough.
In terms of what’s important in my life, my blog is in my top 3 priorities, since it’s an outlet for everything I want to do and achieve. I am getting more relaxed around it.
Jonathan, there is usually another way to solving or approaching any problem as you have pointed out. So earlier this week when I was having challenges with my blog, I spent that time looking at other blogs and designs – and it was time quite well spent. And I learnt a lot from tackling the problem.
I am off now to resolve a few more things…:-)
Arvind, I am ruminating over a dilemma so this advice was very pertinent for me. Thank you. At the same time, your story reminded me of how everything is impermanent and it’s our attachment that gets us into trouble so often. I appreciate your vision and your words. All the best to you.
Sandra, I am glad you found my article pertinent and timely.
Its so true that our attachment to how things and also how things should be that sends us off course from our path.
Your comment has just made re-address a few areas of my life I am assessing – maybe its time for me to make some big life changes!
It is amazing how sometimes we cannot see what’s right in front of us, like the man looking for a glass.
“Someone passed by me, looking very puzzled and a bit lost. I asked if he was okay and he said there were no glasses at the drinks station.I pointed out to him how the drinking glasses were neatly stacked right in front of us on a shelf at eye level!Instead of looking up, he had been looking down and searching for the glasses near the hot water kettle. All he had to do was to look up and find the answer to his search.”
Lately, I’ve been wondering what it is that I’m not seeing. I know it’s something.
I am sorry to hear your couldn’t access your blog site. Adversity is a fascinating teacher.
Aileen, losing access to my blog was quite an experience! As you say adversity is a fascinating teacher – expect in this case it wasn’t that fascinating:-(
But I am sure that the reason for this is probably staring me in the face, but I can’t see it yet.
Great post, Arvind. I am going to link to it for my Friday post after you see what happened to me Saturday morning – which is not as huge as a blog being down for 3 days (gasp) but you articulate the point I need…..!
Thanks Farnoosh – I look forward to reading your blog post on Friday.
I am intrigued:-)