A friend of mine said to me the other day “I wish I could just pack my bag and run away.”  Oh man, haven’t we all been there?  No matter what life has dealt you that lead you to that point, wanting to run away will not make anything better.  Sorry dear! 😦

I often feel that running away will make my life and those around me less chaotic.  But in truth…our problems follow us everywhere.  For me, when I am in my dark sad place I want to run away so no one around me feels as dark as I do.  I am a rational person and I know running will do me no good.  But what if…

Not dealing with life, responsibilities, problems, whatever it may be is not an option.   Take a day trip, get a massage, meditate, or read a book for your escape.  Because at the end of the day we all know that our problems will follow us everywhere if even we run away!

Wanting to run away from life can also be a signal that you need a change.  Possibly a change in the way you are handling things, maybe with the words you are using or even what you are putting out to the Universe.  It only takes one small thing, even a word, to change a perception.  If you continue to do/see things the same routine way you will never learn and grow.  Humans love to settle into the easy and familiar.  It is safe after all!

We as humans need to branch out and look at all aspects of our lives through new and non-jaded glasses.  Sometimes it only takes something very small to change your point of view drastically.  Case in point…

My acupuncturist held a pen out to me today and told me to “try” to drop it.  I dropped it, and he picked it up and smiled.  “Try” to drop the pen, Jenn.  Okay, I dropped it.  He picked it up…what the hell Dave?  He had a smile and said, “C’mon Jenn you are smart, figure it out.”  “Try” to drop the pen with a smile once more.  I started asking questions and as I got closer to the answer his eyes smiled.  So what’s the answer?

Did you get the answer?

You cannot “try” to drop the pen.  You either drop it or do not drop it.

But wait, we transitioned from trying to doing/not doing all by using one different word.  Wow!  What a way to look at things!  Words really do matter and in this case made me completely change my viewpoint of “trying” to do anything.

Dave said since hearing this story, he seldom uses the words try or should because they connotate negativity.   Amazing what a little word can do!  He also emphasized the importance of the words we choose.  Words have different meanings and are to be used to help us see things from different vantage points.

This story changed how I answered a question he had asked me earlier and hugely impacted the rest of my day.  One word, just one word can make that huge of a difference.

I urge you to use this pen story within your lives.  It may help you or another to put things into perspective on a bad day.  The next time you feel like running away remember…your crap will follow you.  You have the power to perceive and handle things in a different light.  Step back, breathe and try to see things differently.

Remember, half our battle is in the way we perceive things.  Change your mind and you may change your life!

Until next time.  You are not alone — J