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Writer's pictureVijayalatha N

THIS IS NOT HOW I PLANNED IT!





At times we encounter completely off the plan situations, it’s almost like a U-turn from your original scheme of things. For instance, missing a flight, a tyre puncture when you all set to reach on time to a particular destination, cancellation of an important meeting you prepped entire night, fight with your best friend, you went to bed feeling fine but woke up sick next day and many other possible circumstances that throw you off the tangent from your plan of action.

I am no exception to this but there was one instance that changed my perspective all together. About four years ago i took a week off from my hectic work schedule with solo motive of “Sit, lie down, be with family and do nothing”! I discussed with my husband and daughter, and we all agreed to drive to Ooty. I must tell you that I love “Ooty”! The aroma of eucalyptus trees, the soil, mist, uneven hills, those clouds, ahh just so soothing to soul. So, we set off on the journey with our two pets and aunt.


Whenever we drive to Ooty we always start early to enjoy the morning drive through Bandipur and hit the hills with hairpin bends. Well, that was different day! The traffic was moving at snail pace due to plastic checks at border, followed by a road closure at Sigur ghat. Whew! This meant that we had to drive through Guldur, which was a longer route. We were not prepared for this, however we motivated ourselves to reach the destination. We took a pit stop at Charring cross to pick up vegetables, and grocery for a week and commenced towards our guest house in Manjur (which is about an hour drive from the city).


Half way through to our guesthouse we notice an alert on the car screen “Disc brake error”. Brake issues in hilly region is definitely red alert! We decided to drop our pets, aunt and the luggage at the guesthouse and head back to a car service center in the city. My husband & I were accompanied by our daughter to fix the disc brakes. I was disappointed, nothing was as per the plan! I wanted to reach early, sit in the lawn with my family, have early lunch and just take a nap watching the clouds move over the hills. But no! we were driving back to city to fix the car, “Blahhhh.”


The service center attendant was very welcoming, he gave us an estimate of 2 to 3 hours to replace the disc brakes and guided us to have lunch in the meanwhile. Three of us decided to walk than taking a transportation. We walked through narrow lanes, discovering the interior roads. My daughter decided to hold my hand so I don’t go and pet furry cats or dogs or plants enroute (that’s a bit of problem my family has adapted to manage well). The narrow lanes had beautiful flowers, and of course, we met the furry cats (that I was not allowed to touch), friendly people and ate freshly baked hot bread plus muffins. As we were munching the yummiest hot bread ever, cloudy mist passed by us. The light drizzle on the outside with yummy bread inside our mouths, made us all exclaimed “Wow, this is beautiful”. We took several pictures together! As coincidental as it could be we met our friend who owns a shop at charring cross. We bought stylish clothes from her store, spoke at length on life, laughed and our conversation was interrupted by a phone call from the service center!


The car was ready! We did not realize how those three hours went by. We were so refreshed and so much together as I wanted it to be. I was concerned what will aunt do alone, would she be bored? Guess what she had her perfect lunch followed by tea and cozy nap with pets. That’s when it struck me “how limited I was in my plan of spending time together, and perhaps relaxing”. We constrict ourselves in our own definition of likes or dislikes, to be this way or that way. Our mind is influenced by opinions of others, a scale of right or wrong. If we introspect, the truth is we don’t know the perfect way at all but when we are open to the plan, that nature or cosmos itself sets in, the result is abundance of joy! When we shun resistance inside us magic begins on the outside. When I accepted to go with the flow, it all turned out to be everything that I wanted to do but just not in the same way that I wanted it to be.


No wonder there are several quotes on “be like a river”, simply reminding us that we will overcome all obstacles to reach our goal in our own imperfect ways when we learn to let go the inner resistance. Well, that day we did not have early lunch but we did have early dinner by the bonfire together in most relaxing way. I still plan tasks, work, vacation etc., however I always welcome the unplanned also with joy and continue with the journey of life!


This was my story of how I learnt to go with the flow and I would love to know your story that made a difference. Comment on this blog or write to me, looking forward to it!

 

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