I’m in the midst of reading “Taming Your Gremlin: A Surprisingly Simple Method for Getting Out of Your Own Way”, by Rick Carson.  To be honest I would recommend the book just based on the gremlin illustrations in it by Novle Rogers, they are brilliant!  And really, who doesn’t love a book with some pictures?

In the section I was just reading Carson says, “Your gremlin would have you believe that you will be content and satisfied when you get your ducks in a row, never telling you that your idea of a straight line may not remotely resemble what the universe has in mind.”  (p. 40) Carson then goes on to say, in an indented, bolded statement: “you will never get your ducks in a row”.

What?  You mean I’m never going to have it all together?  I will admit there’s part of me that doesn’t believe this to be true (ah, but maybe that’s just my gremlin at work…).  But it also brings to mind a small lake near where I live that is a perfect spot to observe the ducklings in the spring as they start off swimming in an orderly, organized row behind their parent.  Oh, but then one goes off on it’s own to chase a bug on the water, and another one swims out ahead of the group, and then another two are swimming in circles around each other, and oh no, here come the lily pads, now it’s just mayhem!

Sure, there’s an imagined stability or security that would come with having all our “ducks in a row”, or having all areas of our lives the way we would like them to be, but I’m wondering if life isn’t more interesting because they’re not.  And of course, the reality is that we don’t have complete control over getting everything in order, stuff happens that we don’t necessarily want.

Then the challenge is:  How can I remain centered and grounded in my life no matter how much things aren’t in line the way I would like?  And choose NOT to listen to my gremlin that tells me I’ve screwed up or made a mess of things or that I’m somehow a lesser human being because things are not perfect.

So I’ll keep reading, but in the meantime I might go and check on those ducks at the lake and see what they’re up to.

Here’s to letting the ducks go where they will, and seeing the beauty in allowing my life to unfold as it is.