Steve and I like to go out to dinner on the weekends. I love it when we work Kome Thai and Sushi Bistro into our rotation of local restaurants. I am really not a huge sushi gal, so I stick to the Thai portion of the menu. I have only eaten there a few times so far, but never once has it occurred to me to ask my server to remove the sushi options from the menu because I do not eat sushi. Moreover, I do not spend any time searching that section of the menu for my dinner, instead I go directly to the Thai cuisine and stir-fried options. I am not angry or upset that sushi is on the menu. I really do not have any feelings about sushi other than the obvious understanding it does not agree with my sensibilities. I go to the portion of the menu that suits my tastes and I continue to enjoy the ambiance the restaurant offers.
This awareness of how to place orders in restaurants is being in the flow of energy. We are not triggered by the meals that displease us. We keep our eyes looking in the places we know will bring us delectable delights. What if we could use this application of energy in our everyday lives? Wouldn’t it shift our experiences? Instead of continuing to spend our time and energy on ideas and people that frustrate us, we can simply look for situations and people that we enjoy. We do not need to change anyone that stumbles onto our path, but instead choose to take a giant sidestep when they come barreling towards us, much like turning the page of a menu. Â
In life there can be certain foods like gluten or dairy products that our delicate system may not be able to tolerate easily. Knowing this we search for restaurants that offer us meals we know our body can easily assimilate. With this lens, what if we work with our guidance system to better understand our body’s clues when we are approaching situations that can negatively complicate our lives. In this way we can steer clear of these people by making a French exit or bidding an Irish goodbye with minimal damage to our well-being.  The goal is not to clear our path of disturbances or hold expectations of how others should behave so we can be happy. It’s good to have options on a menu and to try different dishes in order to learn which combinations we appreciate. Life is good about offering many different flavors to sample. We would not think to tell the chef what he should prepare for everyone who dines in his establishment, right? Why not think of other people as the chef of their own restaurant and allow them their journey and exercise our power to choose where we dine instead?
No amount of talking up a dish will make it enticing to someone who just does not enjoy the ingredients. I took the recommendation of the drunken noodles at Kome against my better judgment only to reaffirm that right now I am very happy with the spicy basil dishes. I harbor no ill will towards the person who suggested it. I am glad that I tried something new but now know I will not order that particular dish again. And so, it can be with life. We always have the option of doing things that turns our stomachs or feeds our soul. By using our past difficulties to make more empowering decisions going forward, we can better navigate the pitfalls. In this way we are benefitting from learning through trial and error and using those experiences to gain better insight into what works well for us.
The time is right for parsing through the story lines that are generative and those that are ready to be composted. Understanding the power of when to engage with others and when to simply redirect our thoughts is the cornerstone of abundance. It is built through life experiences, it is felt through our guidance system, it is remembered through our wisdom, and it can be implemented through our power to choose. It is when we combine all of these ingredients together in portions that suit our soul’s journey that we can nosh in new and different places making our palette our desideratum.