When people say there will be nothing but smooth sailing ahead, I’m convinced they’re a little loco. The more years I put into living, the more certain I am that everyone has rough patches. However, as I age, my own life is getting smoother by practicing two personality traits.
The first trait is acceptance. In the past, a piece of my brain told me I could fix all things to my liking; that I had the power to get friends to always see things my way. Silly me. I can’t even get my dog Sammy to sit when I say “sit.” He just stands there. As for my friends, now I’m more frequently accepting things their way.
The second trait that has made my life smoother is adaptability. Now I try, with some success, to adapt my behavior to fit my friends. Recently, I think they’re hiding out from me less often.
And Sammy? I now command him to stand. He continues to do so.