curiousity

I don't have all the answers. In fact right now I am fresh out of answers. But I do have a choice about the way I react to not having the answers. I have curiosity.

I got upset by a situation today, feeling let down by other people's actions. I felt frustrated and sad. I could feel myself sinking down into it and not enjoying the ride. At the same time I knew I couldn't simply expect myself to "snap out of it" and be happy and joyful. But a part of me wanted more joy than I was experiencing, to not feel so affected by it. I could at least remember that joy existed even if that wasn't my primary experience in that moment. I knew that even though I was agitated I could also be curious about what was happening and how things were unfolding. 

Conflict, difficulty, discomfort - they have lessons for us if we're willing to learn. They can bring things to our attention in new ways, even if all we notice is our own reaction. When we're curious about conflict we can be open to something more than our own current and past experiences. We start to see there are realities other than our own that are all equally valid.

Education for Life defines maturity as "the ability to relate appropriately to realities other than one's own." Stay curious, ask questions, read, listen, watch. Don't turn away from the conflict, difficulty and discomfort. But don't stay stuck there either. 

... the best way out is always through.

Robert Frost