Those Flower Pot Moments

“Wherever you go, there you are” - Jon Kabat-Zinn

You know those days when nothing is going right? No matter how hard you try things just go from bad to worse? In the throes of those moments it would be awesome if we could keep a sense of humor about us and marvel at how many of Murphy’s Laws we could check off in one day. Yet, on those really bad days, it is sometimes easier to wallow in the misery of being a schleprock and pray for tomorrow to come early. But escape is merely temporary avoidance if you are putting off the inevitable. Fast forward and rewind do not exist for us in the real world. The only place we can be is right here, right now and hope that we are where we are for a good reason. Then, if we are “lucky,” comes what my girlfriends call the Flower Pot Moment. This is when things have been “happening” to you a lot (think of these as messages from your higher self). And on that really bad day, those messages are saying, slow down... it is out of your control... let go.. you are not in charge here... And when you continue NOT to listen - WHAMO! Something really big happens to stop you in your tracks. All of the little signs and messages you were dismissing as simply bad luck were really gentle nudges trying to get your attention. Then, when you ignore the signs long enough, the universe drops a gigantic proverbial flower pot out of the sky and it smashes right on your head. “Can you hear me now?”

When you find yourself in the chaos, with shattered terra cotta all around and dirt in your tears, recognize that it is time to stop and listen. What are you supposed to learn right now in your life that you have been unable, until now, to hear? I dare say that in the midst of a ‘flower pot’ moment, all you have to do is ask yourself, “What?! What am I missing?” You can even use expletives if it makes you feel better, let’s face it, some wake-up calls are worse than others. In that case, “What the @#$%?!” Remain open to any insights you have that address your malaise - they may even be solutions you are already aware of but have been hoping to avoid. When the flower pot falls on your head, it is time to pay attention and deal with life head on. In the long run, that is the only true escape.

I am grateful for those moments. Don’t get me wrong, they are not fun. But I honestly find myself thanking the universe for keeping an eye on me and reminding me to pay attention. What if I were just out here all alone drifting with no one to give me a kick once in a while? I, for one, am easily distracted from discomfort and would bet I am not alone. If I need to be reminded to pay attention and live now, may I be blessed to be open to it. And while I don’t know exactly where I am going all the time, I do know that at the end of my journey I don’t want to be wishing I lived in each moment, rather than merely existed. When life throws you a curveball, sometimes it needs to hit you in the head before you realize you need to move in another direction. Batter up!