There’s More To Life Than Avoiding Curve Balls
As much as we may try to set our lives up to feel like we’re in control, there’s very little that we actually have influence over. Life throws us curve balls every day, and the beauty of being human is that we rise to the occasion, often without even realizing it.
But sometimes, the curve ball gets us upside the head, and while we’re rubbing that growing bump on our noggin, we’re also wondering how we missed it, how we could have anticipated all those other curve balls but not this one. But that’s the thing about life. We think our lives are predictable, that we are orchestrating our environment and experiences, when in reality, what we’re doing is far more impressive.
All of us, down to a newborn baby, respond and react to what life offers us. We may lack skill and finesse initially, but over time, we discover strategies and techniques for “rolling with the punches.” Though we’re not always aware of the process, we spend our life noticing patterns and putting into place a battery of tools to adjust and respond. Only when we come up against a new challenge (or curve ball to continue the metaphor) are we reminded just how little we are in charge.
This may feel like a “bad” thing, something to bemoan or try to argue with. But the reality is, accepting our inherent vulnerabilities is liberating. We can start recognizing how little we truly control, which shines a spotlight on that which we genuinely command – our relationship with ourselves, the people in our lives, and the wider outside world. Everything and everyone changes for the better, and life becomes more fluid, unburdened, and authentic.
I want to tell you that we can double down and work harder to take control of every aspect of our lives. I’d like to say that there’s hard evidence showing the correlation between planning and preparing for everything and avoiding all pain and suffering.
Instead, what I’m here to tell you is this:
You’ve gotten through every curve ball that’s ever been thrown at you, which means the chances are quite high that you’ll get through every curve ball in your future. Your superpower isn’t avoiding the inevitable ups and downs in life. Your superpower is awareness and acceptance.
As you continue to face challenges throughout life, you’ll act the gymnast, bending and flexing around difficult moments and painful experiences until, one day, you’ll wake up and realize that you’re incredible and have control over the most vital thing in your life: yourself.
