- Mark span / Foter
Einstein knew what he was talking about when he defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Yet how often as parents do we do this? Often, it is because we don’t know what else to try, and if we keep trying, as least we are doing something, right? And perhaps we are wrong, or just not doing it right.
Here is another perspective I wanted to share. Written by a dear, dear friend of mine. A soul sister in the truest sense.
Enjoy!
Today I watched a fly beat itself against a window and the surrounding metal casing, trying desperately to get outside. It could see where it wanted to be. “Right there, outside — that’s where I want to be! Why can’t I get there?” But it couldn’t get there. I felt sorry for it and tried to guide it around the casing and out the open window. It continued to frantically beat itself against the window, generally avoiding any attempts I made to guide it.
I walked away thinking “stupid fly.” And then it hit me. That fly is just like us, well, speaking for myself, just like me. It can’t see the big picture. It sees what it believes is a way out and, in spite of continued failed efforts, it just keeps doing the same thing hoping that some day, some way it will get to the other side. What would happen if it just relaxed, quit trying so hard, and allowed itself to follow my guidance? It would be outside, where it wants to be, in a heartbeat.
How often do we do the same thing? We continue to expend huge amounts of effort trying to get where we want to be. We can see it! But we try the same things over and over with no results. We don’t relax and surrender to the guidance that is always available to us, which sees the big picture, which knows what we want and knows how to get us there. If we would but surrender to it we would gracefully, easily and without much physical effort move to where we want to be.
Does that mean we’re stupid? No, it just means we can’t see the big picture and we haven’t yet learned to trust. For when we trust that we can have what we want, that there are forces available and ready to help us, that it doesn’t have to take a tremendous amount of energy on our part, then we can surrender and be guided.
Today, I’m trusting and surrendering…
DJ King, owner of the consulting firm King & Company, works with organizations to create conscious cultures of engaged, high-performing employees. She has a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Psychology and is a life-long learner.
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