If you take a moment to ponder life it truly has mystery everywhere. There are puzzlesconundrums, secrets in our day to day living. None of us can predict what will happen next. It could be we have plans for the day and expect our life to go as planned. Our reality is that the unexpected, the mystery of life, could throw us for some twists and turns.

Some of these occurrences could be delightful, joyous experiences. Some of these occurrences could be stressful with difficult, tragic, sad experiences.

Frank Hebert said “The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience”.

Sometimes the unexpected mystery’s that throw us off really are not all that…well unexpected. Things will break, clothing will wear through, my favorite slippers that I love and have worn for years will need to be replaced. I could spend my energy focusing on why do I have to get new slippers, why didn’t they last longer, the cost, etc. Or I could spend my energy being grateful for the joy my slippers gave me and that I have a job with enough money to buy a new pair. What happened with my slippers is not unexpected, a surprise, or a mystery. How I approach it can bring me up or pull me down. Is this a cheesy way to describe an expected experience. YES. Yet how we handle small matters is often reflective of how we handle large matters.

Are there some tragic, horrific mysteries that occur to individuals? Absolutely.  There is no way to explain why some things happen to some people.  How we respond, react to these mysteries and the stress that accompanies can make a difference in how those experiences impacts us and our health..

Kelly McGonigal in her TED talk “How to Make Stress Your Friend” states: “How you think and how you act can transform your experience of stress. When you choose to view your stress response as helpful, you create the biology of courage. And when you choose to connect with others under stress, you can create resilience. Stress gives us access to our hearts. The compassionate heart that finds joy and meaning in connecting with others, and yes, your pounding physical heart, working so hard to give you strength and energy. And when you choose to view stress in this way, you’re not just getting better at stress, you’re actually making a pretty profound statement. You’re saying that you can trust yourself to handle life’s challenges. And you’re remembering that you don’t have to face them alone”.

How one approach’s life and the mysteries that occur can help us or hurt us. There is inherent power of how we can handle what comes our way! That sounds GREAT⭐️

In August I began a new tradition with my family. It has happened once yet the October day is in the planning stage. Every other month my family and I would go on a mystery day. The only thing they need to know was the type of clothing to wear and the time allotment for the day. The different reactions were so interesting. My one daughter wanted tons of details and keep trying to figure out where we were going (all of her guesses where wrong). My other daughter had a few questions and pretty much let it go. Other families members did not ask a thing and went with the flow. One experience elicited a  plethora of responses.

Mystery surrounds us every day. As humans we are feeling creatures with a range of emotions. You are a resilient, courageous, smart person. Life will throw some experiences at you that will be joyous and some difficult to handle. Keep in mind how you handle your stress will impact your wellbeing. Take actions that help you. TLC yourself! Seek out the support of others. You are so worth taking utmost care of your precious self!

May your mystery be with you💜

Photo by Joào Silas Upsplash