Be Cool

It’s been said that if you chase a butterfly, it will flee. But if you’re cool, it will follow you. Likewise, everyone is chasing their dreams like they are butterflies. And with similar results. It seems the more frantically we pursue our goals, the further away in time they are driven from us, perhaps never to be realized.

Without a doubt, dreams are worth pursuing. Still, the many difficulties encountered along the way can result from exaggerated use of our energy. Facts are facts. Zealous psychological exertion tends to bring about fatigue, discouragement, and desperation. Notice how when we’re passionate about a goal we’re often hurried, impersonal, opportunistic and proud. Basically, we’re playing ourselves. As a result, our behavior will digress and become erratic. Consciously or not, we push people away and repel opportunities to realize our objective in its noblest form. That is why I started with the analogy of chasing the butterfly.

With respect to making these elusive dreams come to us, consider this. Sometimes to get what we desire we need to refrain from any action at all for a period of time. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but it’s an important observation. The point here is that it’s crucial to recognize patience and humility as vital for satisfying our sense of accomplishment. We should know enough to know when we don’t have the know how to solve certain riddles (an individual who knows anything at all knows that they have a lot to learn). In fact, we might fare better if and when we let things resolve themselves of their own accord. In many cases this is the least appreciated yet most adequate approach.

But too often we stand in our own way. Usually because as thinking creatures we have a need to calculate and by extension to control things, even time itself. Yet oftentimes it is wise to let the day get away from us, so to speak. Sometimes we should let the flow of time arrange circumstances its own way. With this strategy, you might see that things can be organized in a manner well suited for you without any screwing around on your part. So, let’s not be so quick to grab our trusty tools and start tinkering with the machinery of providence every chance we get. Let it be.

Of course, expect problems and challenges. But appreciate them as opportunities for growth and refinement. Have a little patience and be cool. You’ll get what you want if you learn when and when not to apply pressure to matters. Give time and nature permission to make impressions on your life with their own skill sets. The results will undoubtably please you.

Here’s a simple example of what I mean by sabotaging our objectives with unnecessary pressure. I love chocolate chunk cookies. Recently, they were on my mind. So, I visited a store where I could purchase a large container of the best ones for a fair price. I hovered over the cookies, staring down any and every man with likeminded fiendishness and the audacity to approach the coveted area. At last, I shrewdly chose a container of cookies with way more chocolate chunks in them than any of the others. I paid for my guilty pleasures and placed my container in a small ‘Have a Nice Day’ bag with another item. Then to make certain my precious wouldn’t be ruined by bouncing all around as I transported them home, I tied the handles of the shopping bag tightly together. This eliminated any possibility of my precious moving around too much as I walked along. But guess what?

Because they were so tightly confined, my cookies were constantly pressing against their container, directly absorbing unnecessary shock throughout my travels home. When I opened the container, I saw that over half had been pulverized. They were a heap of crumbs. If I had not tried to restrict their movement, they would have been able to reposition themselves and adjust accordingly which would have taken the pressure off of them. I should have let nature take its course. So, what’s my point? Let’s not be so rigid in our determination to fix things our way.

Still, do not mistake this as a call to inaction. Obviously, you have to act to accomplish anything. Even to pick a flower. But we should measure and mete out our efforts in reasonable doses. For instance, if you rudely uproot a flower, it won’t come out as nice as it would if you would only use patience and care.

Therefore, we should learn when the time is best for possessing the apple of our eye. With patience time is auxiliary. With time and patience as consistent supports, there is minimal chaos or mismanagement. In turn, there is less doubt and anxiety. Consequently, there is less pressure, and no loss of integrity to the structure of our objectives. And more importantly no loss of our own integrity as we navigate life’s bumpy roads.

Of course, it’s inevitable that we’ll sometimes be confronted with things beyond our control. Nevertheless, anything we’re striving for can be had when our actions are measured by a belief in ourselves, humility, and patience. These virtues directly counteract the vicissitudes of impulsiveness, pride and time, all ever eager to make you lose your cool. So, I’m all for taking a step back when it’s needed. Such a simple gesture can neutralize the noises of the mind. It can help us forego a tendency to hastily conceive of reality according to our established habits of thought. The latter again demonstrative of our need to be in control. And why not? Without established methods for dealing with life’s challenges we would feel powerless. And understandably so.

Nevertheless, good or bad fortune will arrive in our lives regardless of our mental disposition. And extreme misfortune can dumb down our best problem-solving abilities. Therefore, it’s important that we do what we can to be cool. It’s a sure way of attracting good fortune by simply not being a good luck repellent. With the proper composure, you won’t go without whatever it is you’re hoping for.

And understand that patience is the key to staying cool when working toward your goals. Just look at Morgan Freeman. He was almost two hundred years old when he landed his first role as an actor! Obviously, that took some patience. Now he’s all over the place.

If you need someone to talk to you can always call the Mental Health Hotline at 866-903-3787. Or if you feel like a danger to yourself, call 988.