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Hello Love,
Amy here, and wow, I can't stop pinching
myself that I spend my days as a mindfulness coach!
💗
A topic that comes up a lot with my clients - and in my own
life - is how to embrace uncertainty and the ever-changing nature of life.
While we know everything is not always going to be sunshine and rainbows 😎🌈 - it takes practice to cultivate an open mind, especially with an inner critic that loves to judge and label every.single.thing as positive or negative, good or bad.
The Chinese Farmer story highlights the benefits of holding things lightly with a "maybe" mindset, so you can navigate life's twists and turns with more ease, joy, and balance.
The Chinese Farmer
Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, everyone from town came by to commiserate. They said, “Oh no! We're so sorry your horse ran away. This is so unfortunate.”
The farmer said, "Maybe."
The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it! That night, everyone came back around and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky?! What an amazing turn of events. Now you've got eight horses!”
The farmer again said, “Maybe.”
The following day his son tried to break-in one of the wild horses. While riding, he was thrown off, breaking his leg. The neighbors then said, “Oh dear, this is awful news.”
And the farmer responded, “Maybe.”
The very next day the military stormed through town looking for able bodied men to fight in their war. They rejected the farmer's son because of his broken leg. This time when his neighbors came around they said, “Oh - this is the BEST NEWS EVER!”
Once again, the farmer said, “Maybe.”
* * *
In Real Life
This story helps me remember over and over again that what appears to be unfortunate today might eventually lead to something beautiful. And what initially seems oh-so-grand, may not last forever.
Like when my son, Luke, didn't get accepted into his first choice colleges, I was tempted to think it was pretty bad news - especially with my inner critic harassing me for prioritizing balance and well-being over, say, getting straight A's.
A "maybe" mindset helped me hold things lightly and stay open to all the possibilities.
Today, Luke is a junior at UC Berkeley, a school that seemed out of reach only two years ago.
In a world where everything is always changing, it helps to have mindfulness tools (and fun stories) to cultivate an open mind that honors our values so we can roll-with-the-punches.
In your own life, what can you hold more lightly?
If you'd like 1:1 support co-creating your own mindfulness practices, I coach people like you looking for authentic ways to bring more balance, joy, and purpose into your life.
You can email me here - or BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL - so we can talk about what matters most to you.
CHEERS to a "maybe" mindset!
With gratitude,
P.S. I'd love to hear your "maybe" story! Drop me a line here or comment below.