Shake It Off!

Shake it Off!

© By Allen Merritt (2017)

I am a person who enjoys getting out and about no matter where I might be. I think this is a key element in feeling connected to life, as well as staying in a positive state of mind. There are many sites and situations to appreciate.

This week I flew to Nashville, Tennessee for a conference. It wasn't the first time I had been there. I expected it to be a busy trip and it was, albeit not as busy as I anticipated. As a result, I ventured out to explore the city as I often do whenever and where ever I travel. I like to watch people and see new places. It can help rejuvenate and/or stimulate the spirit within.

Since I am only human, I flew into Nashville in somewhat of a slump. It wasn't a terrible one, but my mindset was a bit deflated from recent failures and disappointments. I was feeling the idea of working hard, keeping my nose clean and to the grind stone wasn't doing anything toward achieving results despite staying the course, sticking to it, believing and having faith in my skills and talents. I simply wasn't seeing success for which I knew was possible.

Anyway, while on this trip I didn't coop myself up in a hotel room. I can't do that. I needed to walk it off. And when you get out there and see people doing their thing no matter how crazy it might be, you gain a little of your perspective back and can start to breath again. You begin to not only come back to yourself and who you are, but you feel invigorated toward picking up where you left off. Sometimes you have to take a break and let your hair down.

You see there is a whole world buzzing around you. You're not the only one. So take a moment now and again to remind yourself of that. Lots of people are out there trying to live their dreams and lives. We're all in the same boat and breathing the same air. Success and failures are not exclusively defined by anyone but you. We need to keep that in the forefront of our mind, because there are always people and situations willing to take opportunities away from us. What we have to do is stay positive and have conviction toward achieving.

One night I went in and out of venues listening to music when a Lady grabbed my hand and started dancing with me. I thought, "why not?" I let my hair down and enjoyed the moment forgetting about everything else. I had a great time that night. So my positivity thought on this is to give yourself the gift of letting go once in a while, especially if you're feeling deflated, disappointed or frustrated.

In the end, life throws things at us and we’re going to feel a little bit of that, but hanging on to it and losing sight of ourselves and our purpose only digs us into a deeper hole, so to speak. So my philosophy is not sweep feelings under the rug but acknowledge them and then find solutions to move forward and letting our hair down may be one way to do that.

So if you’re having one of those days, weeks or years that is feels like your’re spinning out of control, take a moment and let your hair down and shake it off for a bit and see what good can come of it.

Have a great week living life on a positive note.

Cheers!