When someone says 'Trust the Process' to you, do you feel triggered? Do you think that 'trusting the process' is just some cliché, idiotic line that hippy-dippy weirdos put stock into so that they can run about doing three parts of fuck all? Perhaps you feel that 'Trust the Process' has zero affect on you as a statement because you do not at all connect with the idea of letting go to allow things to happen.
Fair enough, I totally get all of that, and that is the reason why I feel like I need to unpack 'the why' around my ideas for you. Why in the name of sweet Jesus, have I adopted the term 'Trust the Process' as my mantra, when I clearly have a brain in my head? And why have I suddenly decided to restore my faith in the universe, believing that it has my best interests at heart and that it will also have my back, when there is absolutely no evidence to support this kind of thinking? It's utter madness right?
'Trust the Process' probably sounds either certifiably ridiculous or stupidly dangerous to you, and I can fully embrace why you would think that, putting all of your trust into an unknown to have your back, is well, it is batshit bonkers. Even a simpleton can grasp that just letting go and letting the chips fall where they may is not a good life mantra or a high outcome mode of lifestyle choice. However, it is not as batshit bonkers as it may at first seem, and if done with thought and mindfulness, it can actually be life affirming and liberating.
Now, please let me say that there are some very hard guidelines around how to and how to not 'trust the process' in order for you to succeed. A sure fire way to fail with the whole 'trust the process' caper is to sleep in everyday, eat pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner and put zero effort into anything but your high score on Call of Duty. Within weeks you will have lost your job, gained 10 kilos and probably ruined most of your meaningful relationships. Bottom line is, you cannot behave like a douchebag and expect the universe is going to reward you for that.
From what I have garnered, the universe works on some pretty basic principles.
1. What you give, is what you get.
Be an asshole and asshole shit will happen to you - end of.
2. What goes up, must come down.
Sometimes crappy things happen. It is the law of the universe that things cannot be rosy all of the time, if your life was always incredible then you would never need to be enduring, brave, patient, tolerant or accepting. And if you never had to be any of those things, well that you would make you an asshole. See #1 for asshole outcomes.
3. You are creating your own destiny.
You are the driver of your life, you are the captain of the ship. The universe is just the road or the sea that you are traversing. Whether that sea drifts you into calm waters or buffets you about is going to depend a lot on how you are driving or steering your vehicle. We all know that term 'that person is a car crash' and some people just are. They go through life with their hands off the wheel at all times and wonder why they keep on capsizing! In short, the universe is not in charge of the vehicle (aka - you) but it can change the landscape that you get to travel on.
4. Where attention goes, energy flows.
The things that you do, say, invest your time in and the way that you behave becomes the bricks and mortar of your life. If you look for problems, you will find them. If you engage in negative talk, you will be in negative conversations often. If you can't let go from time to time, you'll be wound up tighter than a tin key toy and probably end up with a major illness as a consequence of that. Try to be impeccable with yourself, your word and your behaviour and if you find yourself in a situation where you just cannot, then just leave the space, go home, remove yourself before you get tangled up in drama. Don't start, expand, exacerbate or trigger others or yourself, it is never worth it.
5. Excellent Self Management is Key
You have to learn to let shit go. Hang on let me re-phrase that - YOU MUST LEARN TO LET SHIT GO! Whether you meditate, exercise, knit or dance the distress away, it doesn't matter, but you have to do it. Find something that you love and do it a lot (as long as it harms none) and focus your energy into finding the good in people, the gold in life and the joy in the mundane. And finally.....
6. TRUST THE PROCESS! There I said it, trust that if that you do good and be nice that the universe will generally reward you with good and nice things. And when it doesn't, don't go bonkers and lose your shit, see it an opportunity for growth, a chance to show a bit of humility and perhaps even do a little self check in with your own ego, which we all need from time to time.
Hopefully now you have a bit more perspective on my move to adopt 'Trust the Process' as my 2023 mantra. Perhaps now you can understand how this kind of mantra, although appearing to be flippant or carefree, is anything but, and it can in fact make you calmer, kinder, more patient, more resilient, more grateful, more confident, more accepting and more willing to accept change in our lives. That all sounds very good to me, and I feel like I want more of all of that in my life, so there is nothing more that I need to say on the topic. I'm just going to trust the process!
Fair enough, I totally get all of that, and that is the reason why I feel like I need to unpack 'the why' around my ideas for you. Why in the name of sweet Jesus, have I adopted the term 'Trust the Process' as my mantra, when I clearly have a brain in my head? And why have I suddenly decided to restore my faith in the universe, believing that it has my best interests at heart and that it will also have my back, when there is absolutely no evidence to support this kind of thinking? It's utter madness right?
'Trust the Process' probably sounds either certifiably ridiculous or stupidly dangerous to you, and I can fully embrace why you would think that, putting all of your trust into an unknown to have your back, is well, it is batshit bonkers. Even a simpleton can grasp that just letting go and letting the chips fall where they may is not a good life mantra or a high outcome mode of lifestyle choice. However, it is not as batshit bonkers as it may at first seem, and if done with thought and mindfulness, it can actually be life affirming and liberating.
Now, please let me say that there are some very hard guidelines around how to and how to not 'trust the process' in order for you to succeed. A sure fire way to fail with the whole 'trust the process' caper is to sleep in everyday, eat pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner and put zero effort into anything but your high score on Call of Duty. Within weeks you will have lost your job, gained 10 kilos and probably ruined most of your meaningful relationships. Bottom line is, you cannot behave like a douchebag and expect the universe is going to reward you for that.
From what I have garnered, the universe works on some pretty basic principles.
1. What you give, is what you get.
Be an asshole and asshole shit will happen to you - end of.
2. What goes up, must come down.
Sometimes crappy things happen. It is the law of the universe that things cannot be rosy all of the time, if your life was always incredible then you would never need to be enduring, brave, patient, tolerant or accepting. And if you never had to be any of those things, well that you would make you an asshole. See #1 for asshole outcomes.
3. You are creating your own destiny.
You are the driver of your life, you are the captain of the ship. The universe is just the road or the sea that you are traversing. Whether that sea drifts you into calm waters or buffets you about is going to depend a lot on how you are driving or steering your vehicle. We all know that term 'that person is a car crash' and some people just are. They go through life with their hands off the wheel at all times and wonder why they keep on capsizing! In short, the universe is not in charge of the vehicle (aka - you) but it can change the landscape that you get to travel on.
4. Where attention goes, energy flows.
The things that you do, say, invest your time in and the way that you behave becomes the bricks and mortar of your life. If you look for problems, you will find them. If you engage in negative talk, you will be in negative conversations often. If you can't let go from time to time, you'll be wound up tighter than a tin key toy and probably end up with a major illness as a consequence of that. Try to be impeccable with yourself, your word and your behaviour and if you find yourself in a situation where you just cannot, then just leave the space, go home, remove yourself before you get tangled up in drama. Don't start, expand, exacerbate or trigger others or yourself, it is never worth it.
5. Excellent Self Management is Key
You have to learn to let shit go. Hang on let me re-phrase that - YOU MUST LEARN TO LET SHIT GO! Whether you meditate, exercise, knit or dance the distress away, it doesn't matter, but you have to do it. Find something that you love and do it a lot (as long as it harms none) and focus your energy into finding the good in people, the gold in life and the joy in the mundane. And finally.....
6. TRUST THE PROCESS! There I said it, trust that if that you do good and be nice that the universe will generally reward you with good and nice things. And when it doesn't, don't go bonkers and lose your shit, see it an opportunity for growth, a chance to show a bit of humility and perhaps even do a little self check in with your own ego, which we all need from time to time.
Hopefully now you have a bit more perspective on my move to adopt 'Trust the Process' as my 2023 mantra. Perhaps now you can understand how this kind of mantra, although appearing to be flippant or carefree, is anything but, and it can in fact make you calmer, kinder, more patient, more resilient, more grateful, more confident, more accepting and more willing to accept change in our lives. That all sounds very good to me, and I feel like I want more of all of that in my life, so there is nothing more that I need to say on the topic. I'm just going to trust the process!
SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED
Release Date: 2012
Rating: M
Running Time: 86 mins
An indie film like no other, Safety Not Guaranteed threw me off guard with its quirky and simplistic intrigue. Directed by Colin Trevorrow, this movie was inspired by a gag classified ad that ran in Blackwood Home Magazine in 1997.
Three young magazine employees head out on a very strange assignment to interview a mysterious man who placed a classified advertisement seeking a companion to time travel with.
Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass really make this movie work with their incredible delivery. Mark Duplass always manages to deliver weird so well and Plaza's disinterested demeanour is what has made her a household name, together they are fabulous here. Jake Johnsson and Karan Soni also offer terrific support, and without even meaning to, you will find yourself getting swept along with this nutty plot and its crazy characters as the movie progresses.
Overall, it's quite good fun.
FINAL SAY: This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons.
3 Chilli Peppers
Release Date: 2012
Rating: M
Running Time: 86 mins
An indie film like no other, Safety Not Guaranteed threw me off guard with its quirky and simplistic intrigue. Directed by Colin Trevorrow, this movie was inspired by a gag classified ad that ran in Blackwood Home Magazine in 1997.
Three young magazine employees head out on a very strange assignment to interview a mysterious man who placed a classified advertisement seeking a companion to time travel with.
Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass really make this movie work with their incredible delivery. Mark Duplass always manages to deliver weird so well and Plaza's disinterested demeanour is what has made her a household name, together they are fabulous here. Jake Johnsson and Karan Soni also offer terrific support, and without even meaning to, you will find yourself getting swept along with this nutty plot and its crazy characters as the movie progresses.
Overall, it's quite good fun.
FINAL SAY: This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons.
3 Chilli Peppers
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