Bull in a China Shop

I started this blog and site with the idea that opportunities should be found in the challenges we face. Yesterday I realized a personal barrier that often interferes with my own ability to seize opportunities. Some of you may be familiar with the saying, “a bull in a china shop”. I came to realize yesterday that it is important to always take that extra deep breath so that I can avoid being that bull. There are times when it may feel appropriate to storm into a situation, head strong and full of rage or vigor. Often these are the most important times to step back and use tact.  
Acting is a fantastic skill that we all should develop. No, I am not starting a totally separate thought process here. But I must believe that some of you, as I am, may question whether there are times when acting with full gusto is not the right thing to do. I would agree to an extent. The beautiful thing about a romance or good drama is that they always go to extremes for their love or their cause; Romeo and Juliet dying for love. However, if we throw ourselves on the stake for every cause we will either run out of stakes or dye too early. If, alternatively, we step back, gather all our feelings, thoughts, facts and ideas before we act, then we can be well prepared to present the image we most want the world to see, with the appropriate amount of gusto behind it. If that means throwing everything you have into your rhetoric, then so be it. However, you also can present a strong front with a soft interior (the M&M effect) that may better prepare you for those unforeseen opportunities that present in every situation. 
I do believe that there are opportunities to be capitalized upon in every challenge. Ensuring that we are in the right place and mindset to see and maximize them is truly the challenge. A friend once said to me that if we only expect to hear God when we talk to him then we will never hear his voice. Rather we must walk with an open heart and mind to hear him when he chooses to talk to us. I think this is very true. So often we expect the world to move at the same pace we are traveling. We must be open to receive the world when it is ready. Perhaps nothing makes this point clearer than children. 
So, to all those bulls out there, join me as we stop for a bit to enjoy the meadow we are in and let’s look through the window of the china shop before we walk in. Breath deep and gather your thoughts. More than anything be open to love and opportunities. ​