Stumbling.

Stumbling can be a wonderful thing. By definition, stumbling is not preferred or expected, and in fact, all efforts are to avoid a stumble at all costs. By doing the necessary planning ahead of time, running through the diagnostic rehearsals to test the timing, spacing and any necessary components, the primary objective is for all events and outcomes to be foreseen.

However, stumbling provides a new perspective, a new vantage point at which we previously did not stand and therefore, could not see. Consequently, we see details and layers that had not previously been easily seen or recognized.

To be clear, one person’s stumble may be another person’s catastrophe, which is why it is vital to only examine your own life journey. For example, when the Great Recession arrived, for some, it was catastrophic as life savings and jobs were swept away; however, for others it was an unforeseen stumble in their life journey rerouting them, helping them realize what they truly needed and what they truly loved doing (many self-employed and small businesses especially in the tech and blogging sector in the aftermath and opportunities made available followed the Great Recession).

Stumbles can present themselves in many shapes: a frustrating or many frustrating days at our day job can prompt us to examine what is missing and thus needed in a job that would be fulfilling and consequently we release the tension by diving into a hobby after work. Without expectation, that hobby becomes a regular pastime and soon turns into a career path we now have the courage to pursue; a mistake is made in what we say or do by default or thinking which deepens our awareness of our own fallibilities and thus others as well who we may have judged harshly for making the same mistake; and further still, many oopses in recipes have led to delicious new creations (maybe not Rachel in her FRIENDS’ meat trifle, BUT most certainly the famed French dessert – Apple Tart Tatin!).

While some may equate stumbles as mistakes, they are not entirely equivalent. A stumble tends to happen when our attention is pulled away and we come upon something unexpected. We may trip over it, thus the mistake of tumbling may happen; however, while unexpected, a stumble is a treasure when we stop and appreciate what we have previously not known to have existed. So it is in the surprise and the the stumble that the delight of what we have found that makes the unexpected wonderful as it opens our minds to a new realization about how we want to live our lives.

From something as small as stumbling upon a new podcast that speaks to where you are in your life and where you want to go, to stumbling upon a house for sale that upon laying your eyes upon you knew it was to be your new home, stumbles can elevate the life experience, day-to-day and fundamentally thus cultivating a life rich in quality living.

Stumbling forces us to immediately and forcibly be present. And it is partially the shock as well as the new “thing” in front of us that holds our attention and causes a intentional change to be chosen.

Perhaps today, reflect on the stumbles you have made along the way and pay homage as you acknowledge what they have brought into your life. Then strive forward, all the while choosing to be present so that future stumbles be only fruitful, not fatal.

In this week's newsletter, you will find a jam-packed This & That, a podcast episode focused on the importance of friendships and a post about why we need to cultivate and encourage more enthusiasm in our lives. However, these are just a few of the posts and inspiration you will find, so I must let you begin to enjoy. Wishing you a lovely weekend, and thank you for subscribing to TSLL's weekly newsletter. Until next week, I will see you on the blog.