Have you ever felt frustrated to the point you just wanted to throw something or someone out of the window?
Well, this morning, the universe gifted me with one of those moments. I woke up, made myself a nice cup of freshly brewed black coffee. I sat down in front of the computer to review the set of questions I had prepared for my next podcast interview. My guest was Gaurang Hrishi, a former Indian monk for 17 years, who left his life of devotion behind to study business and become an entrepreneur.
As I was sipping on my cup of coffee, I sent an email to Gaurang, providing him with the final instructions for the online connection. Following, we had a lovely one-hour conversation about the magic of storytelling, owning our story, and staying positive during hardships like the one we are facing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
I have to say the episode went great, excellent even. It was my first official interview with someone who was not my close friend. And I was more than thrilled with the result. I stopped the recording. We continued the voice conversation while the audio from the episode was downloading, sharing further comments with one another. Then, I had the brilliant idea to interrupt the flow of the conversation to suggest we recorded the extra ramblings. The second I pressed the record button, however, I realized I had just stopped downloading the previous audio files. And not only that, I had actually lost them completely…
As you can imagine, my first impulse was to scream and throw the computer out the window. On the inside, I was pissed at myself for not knowing better, and feeling embarrassed for putting Gaurang in such a situation. I didn’t want him to feel I was making him lose his time. On the outside, I was smiling, trying to connect with the remains of perspective and hope I had left. Would I be crossing a line by kindly asking him to repeat the episode another day?
Thankfully, Gaurang is a wise and grounded human being who promptly inspired me to look at the situation from a higher perspective (good thing that I invited a former monk). Perhaps the universe was conspiring for us to keep talking to one another, sharing insightful thoughts, feelings, and ideas. I couldn’t be more grateful for my guest. As well as for this situation. I could have easily given up on the episode. Apologize to the guest, hide in whole, immersed in frustration and shame. Or… I could look at things from a higher perspective like Gaurang suggested. Perhaps the universe was indeed presenting me with an opportunity to repeat the episode. Not only repeat it but improve it. Ask more profound questions, look for even juicier answers.
Furthermore, my plan for the day was to record the episode in the morning and award myself with an afternoon of doing absolutely nothing. Simply celebrate my outstanding progress towards becoming a professional podcaster.
Instead, however, I had not only one delighting conversation with a beautiful individual, but two! Since Gaurang was kind enough to join me for a second round, of course. Plus, I am also here writing this article for you. So, yeah, productive day!
You might be wondering… Aren’t you forcing things a tiny bit? What if you’re just lying to yourself? Is there really such a thing as a higher purpose? What if you simply weren’t careful enough with the recording?
Well, then be it! By choosing to own my story, I’m indeed making the most out of my days. So, my invitation today is for you to do the same! But first, what is the story you are telling yourself?
| “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”
The same applies to this particular time in history. Yes, most of us are locked in our homes. We can keep wondering … When can I hug my best friend again? When will all of this be over? Or … we can choose to ask a better set of questions! What story am I holding on to? What is in my control? How can I turn this unfortunate situation into an opportunity?
I’m personally using this time to write a lot, meditate, and, of course, turn former monk strangers into friends with my shitty technological skills. What about you?
The thoughts you choose to hold on to will create the reality you see reflected in the world. And here lies the magic of owning our stories. Once you acknowledge your superpower — free will — you will soon realize you are the architect of not only your day but your entire existence. So, choose wisely and remember…
| “Keep your eye on the donut, not on the hole.”
