CFC Blog #79: The Forever Problem

One of the best habits of mine is I let even the smallest things bring me joy and elevate my mood. One of the worst habits of mine is I let the smallest things bring me down or make me feel like I'm sinking in endless negative or fearful thoughts about the future. As a senior with the most hectic class schedule I've ever had, this blog reminded me to not let setbacks, downfalls, or disturbances feel permanent. Circumstances and problems eventually change and get better, even when I least expect. Thank you Sasha for reminding me of the beauty and possibility of change :) 

- Amanda

The Forever Problem

On the days I’m really sleep deprived everything seems impossible. White space is useless. My patience is low. I overreact.

And if I’m having a week or weeks with something that is physically wrong–an illness or an injury–my “impossible” stories get amplified. Especially in the case of illness, “What if I feel this way forever?” is a crushing thought that can spiral.

And then, if I’m lucky, I get better. Enough sleep or adjustment or medication or healing makes an ailment go away. My new “now” is replenished with possibility.

It’s the most human of reactions to over-attribute to our present “now.” We’re so confused about how time, and it’s passage, works that “now” often feels like forever.

So when we’re dealing with an unresolved problem, when we’re making sense of the “no way” that we thought would be a “sure!”, when a key decision maker is a long way from agreeing with our position, when ten potential investors all turned us down in a row…

…we jump, without noticing, to forever.

“What if this ‘no’ is forever? What if I will always be told ‘no’!?”

You won’t be.

You’ve just been told “no” now.

With some combination of good fortune, new information, different tactics, and the simple passage of time, forever things will shift.

Tomorrow’s now won’t be the same as today’s.