Both of us have had experiences this past holiday season with making plans, only to have them changed on us by circumstances beyond our control. While that is not an unusual occurrence, living in pandemic times made these kinds of changes much more frequent and of a larger scale like canceling trips, cruises, major events, shrinking attendance at important life occasions, etc.
What we have learned - and where our wish practice has helped - is that responding to these changes with grace, space, and a peaceful mind is far superior to how we might’ve reacted in the past like gnashing our teeth, shaking our fists, or trying to orchestrate a half-baked alternative. Instead, we “go with the flow”, knowing in our hearts what is really important and knowing, through the power of wishing, that even though plans change, our hearts’ desires will still be fulfilled.
For one thing, it’s about flexibility. Here’s an example. At Christmas in 2021, Margie planned several days of visiting and having Christmas dinner with family. One family member became ill and that all changed. Those options were no longer available. The curious thing is, this would’ve happened the same way in any year, pandemic or otherwise. But because we have become so accustomed to changing plans, she realized that, rather than trying to make something happen, it was better to simply go with what was possible. With a peaceful heart, she enjoyed chicken salad sandwiches from the truck stop with her husband and beloved pup for Christmas dinner.
For another, it’s about hope and trust. Barbara had tickets to see The Music Man on Broadway for her birthday. She has been looking forward to this for a couple of years. There were times it felt like she was holding her breath because not only was the health of the ticket holders a concern, but also the health of the star of the show - the whole reason she bought the tickets - Hugh Jackman. As it turned out, he contracted Covid days before the scheduled performance.
The theater offered a full refund, which Barbara accepted, hoping and trusting that she would be able to go another time while the main attraction was still on stage. The most important thing she noticed, though, is how much damage she could have done to her health and well-being - not to mention to those around her - by reacting with angst or anger to circumstances she could not control. Instead of railing against fate, she had a lovely birthday brunch with family, grateful that no one was sick at that time.
Lastly, for a third, it’s about a skill called pivoting. Someone recently said, “We’ve become experts at ‘pivoting’,” meaning that when a plan has to change, we are turning with much more dignity, spaciousness, and harmony to an alternative than we might have in the past. One of the greatest gifts of wishing is the peace of mind instilled by believing that the Universe has our best interests in hand, and that we have identified what is really important in life - our heart’s deepest and truest desires. So you might consider, as this year unfolds, including a wish on your list that states, “I want to respond with grace and peace of mind to changing plans.”
Next time, in our Wishing Basics section, we are going to talk about some fun end-of-the-year/beginning-of-the-new-year wishing practices we’ve collected.
Until then,
Peace and All Good
Margie and Barbara
The Wish Mavens
Photo Credit
The photo featured in this post was taken by (and is copyrighted by) Margaret A. Herrick.