Things I Have Learned Overseas #234

You have to get rid of the "supposed to's" of life.

Example 1: A Popsicle is supposed to taste like cherry or orange or grape or maybe even bubble gum if you're feeling wild.  Yesterday, I ate a Green Tea Popsicle and it was yummy.  If I had only thought about what a Popsicle is "supposed to" taste like then I would not have enjoyed my green tea one.

Example 2: Grocery stores are supposed to carry basic staples like green beans, spinach, okra, potatoes, cocoa powder, wheat bread and baking soda.  I have rarely found all those things at any one grocery store in a single day.  If I only think about what a grocery store is "supposed to" carry, then I get very frustrated when it does not.  However, if I look at shopping as an exercise in patience and an adventure in discovery, then I might just come up with creative alternatives for dinner tonight.

Example 3: Children are supposed to obey their parents and not act like wild banshees in front of strangers.  My two-year old never got that memo.  Once again, if I look at Ava's willful defiance as a test of my resilience then I am better able to handle the situation with the most productive outcome.

Additionally, if we can look at an overwhelming circumstance in a different manner,  it might not taste so bad or look so scary.  When we remove the "supposed to's" of life, we are free to experience new things in a less rigid pattern.  It makes Green Tea Popsicles taste good and also makes life more fun.