Life's Impediments

Frustration

“And I got out of there without punching anyone, kicking anyone, or breaking down in tears. Some days the small victories are all you achieve.”
Molly Ringle (Relatively Honest)

Name something that's guaranteed to push your buttons. Mine is technology—especially computers. I know, you say, it's because you're old and didn't grow up with it. I'm a lot like Gibbs on NCIS—if you can't fix it by turning it off and back on, the only solution is to throw it through the nearest window. This morning a backup disc was required by my laptop, so I put it in, and thirty minutes later, it still had only transferred 25% of data. As if that was not crazy-making enough, then it wouldn't allow me to open the drive to remove the disc. In trying to do so, I pulled the cover off the disc drive and then couldn't get it back on. You can see where this is going, right? Out the window! And it isn't even 6:30 a.m.

According to author and artist, T. F. Hodge (From Within I Rise), “To conquer frustration, one must remain intensely focused on the outcome, not the obstacles.” In my case, and I'm sure in the case of many people of my generation, much of my frustration is caused by skipping the fine print. I have never in my life read an operational manual for any piece of technology. I don't say that proudly; it's just a fact. If it's not a sewing machine, I don't read about how to operate it. I take one look at all that techno-speak and my brain takes a hiatus to Miami. I can't make myself do it to save my life. So when something stops working, or breaks, or maddeningly teases me by popping up the same two screens repeatedly, I become a raving maniac in less than five minutes. I focus on the obstacles—not the outcome.

Frustration is a affliction of our time. We expect to speed—not walk, speed—through our day without the slightest impediment. Everything should run smoothly, and we should not encounter any obstacles to our progress. Does that sound unreasonable to you? It should. Life is not like that, and yet, we expect it to be. What does that say about us? It says that we are doomed to be perpetually frustrated. So, here's the deal, take some deep breaths. Now, ask yourself three questions: In the big scheme of things, how important is this? A year from now, will I even remember it? What is the solution to this problem? And, continuing to breathe, slow down and allow yourself to relax. Unless you're about to blow up the house, this too will pass. Small victories, my friend, small victories.

In the Spirit,
Jane