Looking Beyond the Let-Down, to the Opportunity

“Don’t dwell on what went wrong.  Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward,toward finding the answer.”  ~Denis Waitley

Yesterday I had the distinctly disappointing experience of being let down by a client.  In a nutshell, the person in question told me that she would be pulling out of an agreement that we’d made.  As near as I can tell, the pulling out isn’t going to be a permanent thing — it’s supposedly just on hold for a few months.  And she assures me that she’s committed to continuing once a few personal ducks are lined up — she wants to keep doing the work she’s embarked on.  All this aside, it was a disappointment in the moment nonetheless.

As I felt myself reel in response to this news, I simultaneously became aware of an urge to look beyond the let-down.  And it was interesting to notice this urge.  Because, of course, it was competing with the urge to be angry and vent a bit.  As I sat with these competing urges, what I realized is that where I am in the long run, depends hugely on which urges I choose to follow moment to moment.  In this instance, if I choose to follow the urge to be angry and vent, then I will stay in this “let down” place.  If, however, I choose to follow the urge to look beyond — to the opportunity — then I will actually move forward.  Which begs the question:  do I want to stay here?  Or do I want to move on?

What I know for sure is that this is the constant challenge for me.  Not simply the “let-down” vs. “opportunity” question, but the question of “this moment” vs. “the future”.  I know that there is power in staying fully present in the moment.  And, I also know that sometimes, you’ve actually got to put your attention forward, even while you are aware of what’s happening now.  It’s an interesting balancing act; and usually what lies ahead, particularly when it’s a specific goal or objective, has got a “wow factor” that the present-moment-spinning just can’t provide.

Bottom-line:  when the thing that’s happening in this moment causes you to be caught in a whirlwind of negativity, you’ve really got to put your attention beyond the here and now.  Look to what’s possible, look to where you’re headed and, while you appreciate what’s going on now, pull yourself to the opportunity beyond.  It’s the best way to blend the power of now with the energy of wow.