At the start of this year, someone bought me a calendar. I'm not normally a write-it-on-the-wall calendar type of girl. I normally prefer for my schedule to be on my computer and my phone. But I have to say, I love this calendar. And if you saw it, you would know why. Every time I walk by it, it makes me smile.
The calendar itself is called "Life is all about how you handle Plan B" and it is by Suzy Toronto. It's as colourful as a calendar gets and too colourful for those who prefer their calendar to blend into their wall. It has sayings that are a little too quacky and quirky for those that prefer picturesque landscapes.
But I love this calendar. Month-after-month, I am reminded of things through sayings. February challenged the reader to "trust your crazy ideas," while April reminded us that "if you want rainbows, you gotta have rain." September states that "age is nothing but a state of mind," and last month was a good reminder that "when life becomes a roller coaster, climb into the front seat, throw your arms in the air, and enjoy the ride."
But my favourite saying is the one on the coverbecause how often does life actually go according to Plan A?
In a perfect world, everything would go according to planned. You would never be late for anything and you would always be able to find everything. There would be no trials or tribulations. There would never be heartache. Problems and challenges wouldn't keep you up at night and daily hassles wouldn't exist.
In a perfect world, you would have your dream job. You would be paid what you believe to be your worth and would be appreciated by those that surround you. Those that you trusted for years would never suddenly become someone you have never known. Your children would never get sick and loved ones would never pass away.
But life rarely goes according to plans...
One of the first courses I took at university was a psychology course entitled Lifespan Development. The first thing our professor asked of us was to take a few moments to do a 10-year plan. At 18 years of age, a few moments what all that I needed. I quickly jotted down where I would be by the time I was 28 years old.
Looking back, it was the typical response of a young girl entering a new world. Meet the love of my life, get married, find the job of my dreams, start a family and live happily ever after. All by the time I was 26 years of age of course. Life goals complete with two years to spare even!
So, what did I learn from that experience? That thankfully, life doesn't go according to plans. If it had, I would have missed out on a number of Plan B experiences. I still have my same goals and same values and I am still working towards the same life, but I must admit that I haven't taken the Plan A I decided upon in that university classroom.
I learned a long time ago that where you think you are heading, isn't necessarily where you end up. And how you think you are going to get there, isn't necessarily the way it is going to happen.
I am a firm believer that life messes with Plan A for a number of reasons. It tests our boundaries and causes us to really find out what we are made of and who we are. It challenges us to question the people that we are and who we are about to become. It teaches us to stretch our imagination and act creatively. It teaches us to pull up our socks and act, rather than just coast along on this thing called life.
Good and bad times come and go. And the truth of the matter is, we have all experienced Plan B in some capacity. It ranges from a slight detour in the road to walking face first into a brick wall. But regardless of what capacity it is in, for everyone out there going through Plan B... or Plan C or even Plan D... take it one day at a time. You may just be a stronger person in the end because of it.
