Not My Circus

“Not my circus. Not my monkeys.”

This new motto gets placed right up there with the other leaders of my life. I turn to these words when I approach a fork in the road, a scuffle in the path, or just a question about the next step that I am about to take.

“All I can do is all I can do and I can’t do anything more than that.”

“Nothing changes until something changes.”

“People are crazy, so try to focus on the person.”

“The only person I can change is me.”

Things come up that try to distract me from my journey. Situations occur that are designed to throw me off course. People show up that are determined to rock my boat – or at least throw some water in it.

It happened today. The question was innocent enough and it had purpose behind it. I invested in the answer to the question and then my mind was off and running. I had some great answers, but they did nothing to further the journey I was trying to walk. I had gotten off track.

I let go and closed my eyes determined to sleep. The question and its answers replayed in my head and refused to let the peaceful calm join me on my pillow. That is when the words appeared. “Not my circus. Not my monkeys.” For me, it is a reminder that if the moment, action, or situation does not fit into my goals, my vision, or my steps then I should let it go (that was just for all of you who have seen Frozen – sometimes I am people 😉 ).

I can get caught up in the chaos. Some would say that I am masterful at getting caught up in the chaos. Reminding myself that some things are not for me – even if I can find the answer – helps me to return my focus to my own journey.

Tips for Getting Loose from the Traps

1. Know your purpose. Write down what you are doing, why you are doing it, and what steps you are considering to reach your destination.

2. Remember it is not personal. Different people do things differently, and that is okay.

[tweetthis]Different people do things differently, and that is okay.[/tweetthis]

3. Keep your eyes and ears open. The more aware you are about what is going on around you, the easier it will be to spot the issue before you get tangled up in the mess.

4. Review your purpose. Come back to the thing that was the focus in the beginning by reviewing what you wrote down. Repeat as often as is necessary.

The world continues to spin. If you ever manage to find your balance, it seems the world just spins faster to make you stumble again. Dancers will tell you that the right focus will allow you to maintain balance no matter how fast or how long you spin.

Find your focus. Return to that focus. Leave the circus to the rest of the world.

Be blessed,