LOOKING OUTWARD

Even with all of the technology and service providers willing to deliver almost everything we want to our doorsteps, for a price, the one thing that can’t be bought or delivered is our ability to live in the world. For this we have to look outside of ourselves. Our participation is also required in order for this to work.

For some of us, this does not seem too difficult most of the time. We have learned over time what works for us. We have made a few friends, had some good and bad experiences and generally have learned how to function socially and with relative ease in many situations.

I believe that people everywhere seem alike in many ways and that most of our wants and needs are similar, although the details differ.

From time to time however, life takes a detour, we hit a roadblock, or we have to accept large changes around us. Usually the social skills we have mastered make it possible for us to quickly reestablish our comfort zones and move forward once again.

However, in a crisis or when larger changes occur in our lives, such as when we change jobs or careers, move to a new area or begin a new relationship, we might encounter situations that are too unfamiliar to easily adapt to.

Some of these may demand that we find a new way of doing things and/or relating to others around us. At such times, we might find ourselves, at least temporarily, disoriented.

If we feel a need for defensiveness, we may hunker down, hide out or find a number of other ways to withdraw into ourselves. We might also become deliberately anti-social and not let anyone get through to us.

When we permit ourselves to be accessible and open, to new and often interesting ideas, we have an excellent opportunity to extend our boundaries and incorporate exciting changes and positive growth into our lives.  

When life brings us into what for us are uncharted waters and unfamiliar situations, we can increase our chances of success immeasurably by being open and willing to allow change and new experiences into our lives, as we again venture out from and look outside ourselves.