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Just published: Martha Treat September 2022
Arbitrary Cutoffs
Trying to control what arrives in our day is not possible.
Sometimes it seems as if we are arbitrarily cut off: another car cuts us off in traffic, a client/friend doesn’t show up for a meeting, a boss interrupts when we are at a critical point etc.
And yet, why assume we are in control and that any of it is not on track for us? The cutoff might have saved us from an accident. The opening of time on our schedule might allow for something else we were wanting, and the boss’ interruption may in the long run lead to something great we could not have imagined possible.
I like to envision a bigger schedule I am part of that has my back and in which arbitrary cutoffs may in fact be my greatest blessing. Is it easy to switch to such a view? Not easily but when I choose to cooperate with what is happening, I experience being in a greater flow.
Do you react with anger when a child suddenly throws up on you as you are leaving the house for an important meeting? No of course not, but you do handle it. With a quick change of clothes, you continue on out the door. If you can start laughing, you surrender to that higher track schedule.
I worked with a client this week who was excited to have their inbox emptied late on a Friday. They handled 200 emails in 20 minutes as our hour was finishing and I could see that with just another ten minutes the in-box would be empty. Do I control the situation by cutting them off just because our time is up? No, I simply say I have a few more minutes and ask if they can continue. That extra ten minutes brought the completion and celebration for us both.
Cooperating with what is taking place in the moment keeps us in the bigger flow vs. swimming upstream against the tide.
Having fun with what seems crazy and arbitrary in the moment lets us step right back into the bigger flow leaving the story behind that can often end up being entertainment at a later date.
We are always on track regardless of what might seem arbitrary by our own or other’s behavior. We can simply move above arbitrary to the gratitude and acceptance and move on.
Martha Invitations
1. If you, like me, have had a bad habit of finishing people’s sentences, practice holding your tongue. You might be quite surprised at what you receive.
2. The next time someone cuts you off in traffic, thank them.
3. When you observe yourself trying to control an outcome or reacting to an interruption take a breath and surrender to what is happening as more on purpose than you may think at the time.
Martha
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Read Previous Treats:
2022
Treat #241 Incomplete. Not done. Unfinished
Treat #240 On Purpose Doing
Treat #239 Watching Awake
Treat #238 The Joy of Doing
Treat #237 Completing Up to the Moment
Treat #236 Fully Receiving Through Completing
Treat #235 Time for a Radical Step?
Treat #234 Being on the Empathy Track
Treat #240 On Purpose Doing
Treat #239 Watching Awake
Treat #238 The Joy of Doing
Treat #237 Completing Up to the Moment
Treat #236 Fully Receiving Through Completing
Treat #235 Time for a Radical Step?
Treat #234 Being on the Empathy Track
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2021
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2020
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Treat #233 Letting Go into Freedom
Treat #232 A Lighter Touch Treat #231 How are you Effort-ing? Treat #230 Experience Is The Freedom Treat #229 Things Are Rarely as They Appear Treat #228 The Impossible To-Do List Treat #227 Doing from Listening Treat #226 The Act of Looking Treat #225 Listening to this Moment's Action Treat #224 The Last Piece Treat #223 Acknowledging with Gratitude Treat #222 Up to Date |
Treat #221 Choosing to Cooperate with What Is
Treat #220 It Takes as Long as it Takes Treat #219 Availability to Perfect Timing Treat #218 Engaging Yourself into Action Treat #217 Go for the Truth in You Treat #216 Switching Gears Freedom Treat #215 Seeing What We are Looking At Treat #214 Clarity of Focus Treat #213 Appreciating/Acknowledging Begins Within Treat #212 How can I Assist - The True Next Action Treat #211 Use It or Lose It Treat #210 Finishings Along the Way |
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2019
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2018
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Treat #209 A New Beginning
Treat #208 All Designed For Us Treat #207 Reverence and Joy for Doing Treat #206 Choosing vs Auto Pilot Treat #205 Defaulting to the One-Track Focus Treat #204 Elegant and On Purpose Treat #203 The Fullness in Minimal Treat #202 The Real Culprit of Focus Drain Treat #201 Resting in Action Treat #200 Loving the Empty Spaces Treat #199 Putting Together All The Pieces Treat #198 Are you at the Top of your To Do List? |
Treat #197 The Tiny Finishings
Treat #196 Emergency,Crisis,Fire Treat #195 Mastership Treat #194 It Works Every Time Treat #193 Let the Stuffing Be Gone Treat #192 Whole Focus Treat #191 The One Thing Not to Complete Treat #190 Just Keep It Flowing Treat #189 In Between Time Treat #188 What is Stealing Your Energy? Treat #187 To Skim or Not to Skim Treat #186 I Love January |
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2017
Treat #185 Both Hands Please
Treat #184 I'll Remember Treat #183 Creating New Doing Paths Treat #182 A Habit Worth Quitting Treat #181 Eclipse of Action Treat #180 Forgive Me for Multitasking Treat #179 What are You Looking At? Treat #178 Are you Squishing Snails? Treat #177 Relaxing the Grip Treat #176 All the Time in the World Treat #175 When is Enough . . . Enough Treat #174 Engaging Yourself to Completion |
2016
Treat #173 A Kink in the Works
Treat #172 What's Stopping You? Treat #171 All of Ours to Do Treat #170 Attitude Adjustment Treat #169 IN Consciousness Treat #168 Completing Past our Reactions Treat #167 Keep Your Dog Leash Treat #166 The Essential Piece Treat #165 Day is Done Treat #164 Do-Nothing Time Treat #163 Curbside Calm Treat #162 Pile-Up |