Hi Hsi,
This morning in Lisbon, Gaia (the dog I'm walking while I'm here) wrapped the leash around a metal pole. She went left, I went right, and we ended up in that little sidewalk standoff that dogs are so good at creating.
Out loud, I heard myself say, "Of course."
Not the "of course" that means ease. The other one. The small, tired "of course" that expects things to go sideways. A shrug toward fate.
Two steps later, a thought came to me: before the pole happened, hundreds of tiny things had gone right today without a headline. The coffee maker worked. My computer and phone worked. My legs carried me up the hill. Gaia didn't bark at the pigeon. None of that got an "of course."
So I tried something. I kept the phrase, changed the tone.
Of course, some things will go wrong. Poles exist. Leashes tangle. Flights get delayed. The point isn't to fight reality; it's to stop making it personal. "Of course" as in, this happens to everyone. "Of course" as in, welcome to being alive. "Of course" said with a little room in it.
It helped. I stepped back around the pole, Gaia wagged like I'd solved a complex puzzle, and we kept moving.
It's amazing how quickly our minds can organize the day around the one snag and overlook what quietly worked. If we are not careful, "of course" becomes a story about our luck. When we soften it, it becomes a story about life being life; and we are okay inside of it.
Try One of These This Week:
- Count the quiet wins. When you catch yourself focusing on what went wrong, name five things that went right in the last hour. Don't reach for big stuff. Keys were where you left them. An email sent. Your back felt decent getting out of bed.
- Say "of course" with space. When something small breaks or a plan shifts, try: "Of course this happens sometimes." Say it like you're opening a window, not slamming a door. Then take the next workable step.
- Make a tiny ledger. At the end of the day, draw two columns: "Went Wrong" / "Went Right." Limit the left side to three lines. Let the right side run. You're training your attention, not grading your life.
Reflect On This:
- Where does your "of course" show up with a sigh? What would the kinder version sound like in your voice?
- What went right today that you didn't notice until now?
Until next time,
Eric
P.S. In case you missed it, my new book, How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life, is now available to pre-order!
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