If you haven’t noticed, we do not have 100% control over everything that happens in life. In many ways, this is awesome! Think about all the unexpected surprises or turning points that you did not see coming that have grown you or led to something even better than you planned.

Yet in other ways, not having 100% control can feel not-so-awesome . . . especially when life throws us a curveball resulting in an expectation hangover.

What is awesome is that we do have control over how we respond to not-so-awesome situations. In this week’s vlog I share a recent story about a curveball involving a stolen laptop and the beautiful lessons that were learned.

Last week after a productive work day, Jill (my COO) and I went to see a hilarious movie (Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates). We had an amazing day and were feeling great until . . .

Jill checked her car and realized her laptop had been stolen. Someone had broken into her car while it was in a public parking garage, went through her bag and swiped her almost new Mac Book.

At first we were both in shock. It felt violating. We were angry. Jill let out a good scream and had a cry about it. Which is normal and healthy. During the initial shock of something, it is important to allow ourselves to feel our feelings. What is not healthy is to dwell in them or become a victim.

I am share more about how Jill chose to respond to this situation after she got her initial feelings out because it is a great learning opportunity for us all in the vlog – go here to watch and learn!

Some take-away’s for you for the next curveball that comes your way:

1. You do not have 100% control over what happens in your life but you do have 100% control over how you choose to respond to it.

2. Allow yourself to have your human reaction and feelings when it comes to your expectation hangover. Don’t jump to the lesson and blessing right away (that’s spiritual bypass).

3. Do not dwell in your emotions or go into victim-mode. After you move through your feelings, get into action mode. Get clear about what choices you have and what you actually can do/control.

4. Continue to remind yourself that you get to CHOOSE how you want to respond. You get to choose how you want to think about the situation as well. So choose wisely.

5. Keep things in perspective. Often things that seem like massive problems really are not. Focus on all the blessings in your life and maintain a grateful mindset.

If you are dealing with an expectation hangover right now, you have my compassion. I understand that they can range in severity from mild (like a computer that can be replaced) to severe (like the loss of a person, job or relationship).

Take the time to honor your process. Sometimes the best choice to make when it comes to responding to a curveball is to reach out for support. And I’m here to support you so please head over to the blog and leave any questions or comments you have.

Blessings,
Christine

p.s. Did you catch last week’s podcast? If you ever feel like you’re doing all kinds of personal growth work but it doesn’t seem to be working, be sure to listen here!

p.p.s. BIG NEWS! I’m on Snapchat. I resisted it for months but then a friend showed me how much fun it is and I see it as another way to connect with you which is awesome. Follow me @chrishassler

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