It seems like kind of a cruel holiday—having a day designated to play tricks on people. But life is forever playing tricks on us, both cruel and kind, and it’s maybe it’s not such a bad thing to have a day to remind ourselves that our job is to keep our equilibrium and sense of humor in the face of life’s sudden turns.
What helps you stay balanced when life gets tricky?
When life ‘s trickster comes to call I rearrange my schedule to carve out some solitude to get focused through reflection, prayer, and reading. If I can discern the truth in myself and in a situation, The trickster usually loses…even if the truth says I’m the one who needs to change.
I try to find something to about which to laugh in the situation – hearing laughter seems to soothe my sense of the experience.
The picture tells the tale. I come home and play with my dogs. They have no ulterior motives and simply enjoy my company. This is a good therapy for what ails me and if nothing ails me it is still good for me.
The trickster can be a friend if you allow him to be. In some Native American traditions, Coyote, the trickster, is also a teacher. If we can learn from surprises, he can be our teacher, too.
I’ve discovered a pattern in myself. When overwhelmed, I “freak out,” but if I allow myself this brief emotive period, I come back calm and centered, determined to solve the problem.
(Unfortunately, doing this at work has proven detrimental, which indicates I might need a different job where I have the ability to go off privately and “re-energize.”)