Unbothered for the Win
This month our team’s #HerdWordoftheMonth is “unbothered”. Oftentimes when we hear the word unbothered, we imagine someone who is or has been upset by something and is now absolutely over it. They are likely refusing to give that thing, that situation, or that person any more of his or her time and consideration. This is definitely a true reflection of the word and most of us have been here before and will likely be here again at some point because...life. But it’s not the only reflection.
Lately, when I think of what it means to be unbothered, I am seeing it a little differently. What does it mean to be unbothered in the absence of something going wrong and instead in the presence of what seems to be going right? What happens when things are good but the need to pivot and shift arises in your life? How do you respond? Have you ever found yourself in a position where you needed to take imperfect action in pursuit of a goal or perhaps in response to what’s happening in the world around you before you felt completely ready to do so? What did you do? When those feelings of anxiety and/or doubt crept in to try to convince you of all the reasons that you should be worried and should in fact be bothered, how did you respond? When you heard the messages that screamed, “abort mission” to preserve the status quo, did you listen?
I submit that when these things happen, and they absolutely will happen, this is the perfect time to get unbothered. The way I see it, being unbothered is an observable execution of one’s faith and belief that ALL things are working together for one’s good no matter the circumstance. Naturally, we will all face obstacles, disruptions, disappointments and egregious displays of audacity that could rightfully have us all quite bothered. But when you are in pursuit of something good, you have to trust that your faith will guide you and the Almighty will respond, meeting you with what you need when you need it. I like being able to see the full staircase as much as anyone but sometimes you’ll only have the first step and in a lot of cases, it’s worth taking that first step and seeing where it leads you. I mean what is life without adventure?
The last year has been a whirlwind of occurrences. What we know now perhaps more than ever is that life is precious and fleeting. Resolve not to spend it bothered by the little things, the unknown things, and the things that cannot be controlled. Whether you are brushing off a person or situation that is only serving to distract you from something greater, or you are boldly pursuing the next chapter in your life’s story, resolve to do it choosing faith over fear. It’ll take you far. Here’s to being unbothered!