I read a powerful quote today that really made me stop and think.
Stop giving CPR to dead situations.
Wow! I’ll pause so you can read that again.
…
I’m guilty of this. What about you?
I’m not talking about getting together and talking about old times with friends, that can be a fun evening of sharing memories. I think it refers to the times when we latch on to how things used to be and obsess about how we wish they were like that again. For any multitude of reasons they can’t.
I learned a long time ago that some people (maybe most people) don’t like change. We like the way things are and we know what to expect. When you throw in a change it upsets our universe. We’re not used to doing things that way. We fight it. Reject it. Long for our old ways.
Someone once told me of the old shoe analogy.
You’ve probably had an old pair of shoes that you loved. You had them broken in just the way you like them. They’re scuffed and worn but they felt just right. You could get a new pair that look better but they won’t fit the way you like. It’s much easier to keep wearing the old pair. They’re comfortable and familiar.
What is a dead situation in your life that you keep trying to do CPR on? Is it a relationship? Times change and people change. Is it a job or career? Again, times change, companies change, even society changes so that what you once did may not be needed anymore. Has your health changed? Are you still trying to do what you did in your twenties? Are you still trying to be the person you were before a “situation” changed everything?
I’m not saying we should quit trying to do things, however, maybe it’s time to rethink the things we’re trying to do. If you can no longer do something – for whatever reason – maybe it’s time to turn your focus toward something else. A new career, a new relationship, new ways to stay and be active.
There comes a time when the CPR stops and you call it. Maybe now is the time.
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