A hard season can be completely real without being permanent. The challenge is learning to tell the difference before a difficult moment starts writing the whole story.
I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.
Some things are true. Some things are temporary.
When temporary starts to feel permanent
You may truly be exhausted. You may truly be frustrated with your job. You may truly be disappointed in someone. You may truly feel overwhelmed, angry, discouraged, or stuck.
Those feelings deserve attention. Pretending they aren’t there usually doesn’t help.
But the dangerous jump happens when we turn a temporary condition into a permanent conclusion.
- “I’m exhausted” becomes “I can’t do this anymore.”
- “We’re going through a hard season” becomes “Our marriage is broken.”
- “I’m frustrated at work” becomes “I hate my job.”
- “One person disappointed me” becomes “Nobody can be trusted.”
Stress has a way of shrinking our field of vision. When our emotional, physical, relational, or mental capacity gets low, the thing directly in front of us can start to look like the entire landscape.
Before you make a permanent conclusion
One of the healthiest things we can do is slow down long enough to ask: What is actually true here, and what might simply be temporary?
Sometimes the situation really does require change. Sometimes a relationship needs attention. Sometimes a job is unhealthy. Sometimes we need to say no.
But sometimes we just need sleep. Or perspective. Or a trusted person who can listen before we make a decision.
In Vital Insight, I talk about building enough capacity that we can respond instead of simply react.
Your feelings are information. Listen to them.
Just don’t automatically give them permission to write the ending.
Build more capacity for the moments that disrupt your day.
Vital Insight helps you understand how you’re wired, identify what matters most, and build a personal plan that fits. Reach out and connect with me.
