#34 Embracing the Unknown

Welcome to the first episode from “The Sara Shabana Show” in 2023

 Below are the key highlights from the episode:

·      Why our judgments of what is good and bad can be limited and biased?

·      How our desire for control limits our possibilities in life. 

·      Why surrendering is not the same as giving up. 

·      How can we invite the magic of serendipities into our life?

 Don’t forget to say “Hi” on Instagram (@SaraShabana.me), I always love to hear from you.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_02 0:00

Hello, my beautiful friends, and happy blatant new year. I believe this is the longest I ever been away. If I only tell you how much I have missed recording episodes for you, but I really needed some time to get a few things in order before I start again. So here we are. I'm truly excited for this year and already recorded multiple episodes for you with brilliant guests that I can't wait for you to check out. I guarantee you each one has a story that will inspire you to embrace your uniqueness and design a life that excites you. As for today, just how I like to start the year with a solo episode, a reflection on things I have learned, and some tactics on how to plan for the year ahead. A bit late, I know. So let's dig in today's episode. Welcome to the Sara Shabana Show. We are all born unique in every way, yet we often forget there is more than one way. Hesitant, we are believing in what's possible and never ask how we can make it more probable. So this is a place to learn and explore from the stories of those who have designed life they adore. There is nothing set in stone if we stay curious and unlock the door. My name is Sam and I'm the host of the Sabra Shamana Show. I'm here to provoke you to design your own life, dig deeper into your curiosities, and get inspired from those who created a life they love. This podcast is all about realizing the possibilities and learn real tactics and strategies on how you can design a life that brings you joy. Welcome back. Have you ever worked on a plan only for life to take you in a different direction? Have you ever noticed that sometimes life drifts you away to a new path only to realize years later how thankful you are this didn't work out? Or even how grateful you are for the new path you resented at the beginning, because it ended up better than any choice you could have considered at the time? And it's shockingly true that even till this day, we get upset when things don't work out our way, totally forgetting about these moments of serendibities that came out of nowhere, magically guiding us to where we should be instead. This reminded me of a famous Chinese story about a farmer who puzzled his community.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

There's a farmer and he lives with his son, and they have one horse, and the horse runs away. And everyone from the town comes by that night and they says the horse ran away, and they say, Oh no, what terrible news. He said, I don't know. It's good news or bad news, we don't know yet. And then the next day the horse came back with two other horses. And everyone from the town came by and they said, Well great news, now you have three horses. And he said, Well, I don't know if it's good news or bad news. And then the next day the sun went out and trained one of the new horses and fell and broke his back. Everyone from the town came by and said, Oh no, what terrible news. He said, I don't know if it's good or bad news. And the next day, the constable from the military came by and said, We're taking all able-bodied young men to join the military. And he said, My son has a broken back, he can't go to the army. And then everyone from the town came by that night and they said, Oh, what good news, your son didn't have to go to the army. Good news or bad news, I don't know, we'll see. And the idea of this is that it could go on and on and on and on.

SPEAKER_02 3:29

We love to label things good and bad, aren't we? It gives us a sense of control. But who are we really to know the good and the bad? And I'm not underestimating our capability of reasoning here. I'm just saying we will always have a narrow view to things. It's the truth. We don't always have the full picture. How would we label a bad thing that turned to have a silver lining that helped you build a new skill or a new perspective? Is this good or bad? How would you label something that seems good but got you so attached to it in a way that blinded you from other opportunities that came your way? How would you label it, good or bad? Life is a journey and we never know what's around the corner. So the question is, why don't we just surrender? And I know some of you might be thinking, no, I'm strong, I don't give up. But surrendering isn't the same thing as giving up. Giving up is to stop trying, it's an inaction. But surrendering is not inaction, it is to do your best with what you have in hand and detach completely from the outcome. And have full faith and trust that things will turn out okay. Surrendering is giving up on our desire for control. It's an exercise to humble our pride that sometimes hinders us instead of helping us. It pushes you to open up to new opportunities and possibilities that you would have never considered otherwise. And when we surrender, we find peace in the journey. We find a sense of calm and a deeper connection to the world around us. We realize that life is not happening to us, it's happening for us, as Tony Robbins usually says. It's a reminder to stop trying to control the things we can't control and start embracing the things we can. We stop fighting against the wind and start flowing with it. Flowing with it. Do you know what happened when you do your best, have faith and flow with it? Serendipities happen. Serendipity is when something happens and it seems to be an amazing lucky coincidence. But in reality, they are just a result of our open-mindness and willingness to take risks. When you encounter serendipities, know that you are on the right track. This could be something as simple as coming across a post on Instagram that guides you in a different direction or a new opportunity that presents itself out of nowhere. Few months back, I had a plan. I worked for it. I had it detailed out, and I had a clear judgment of how this is the best for me. Funny, right? It actually makes me laugh remembering this now. And with everything I did, things were just not working out in this direction. Most of it was really beyond me and totally out of control. But it was still frustrating. So one day in my evening yoga class, I was just so consumed about why things were not working out the way I want them to work out. What could I possibly do? Again, so much love for control. And totally unable to even just let go and focus in my class. And once the class finished, I went to the juice bar to get a smoothie, only to find a coat handwritten on it by the beautiful lady who prepared it for me. And the coat said, Surrender to what is, let go of what was, have faith in what will be. And you have no idea. This shook me to the core. I totally felt like this message just magically found its way to me, so I can finally just accept, surrender, let go, and have faith. I went home that day, wrote it down, and I had it on my mirror as a daily reminder, and sat the intention to do the same. I even looked into my goals and all the things that I have considered and digg deeper into why I want each of them, what's the deeper desire behind them. And after that I wrote a statement. It was actually more like a prayer, but a prayer statement of the things I want, the bigger picture, why I want them, and what will I do when I get them. This really helps you to not only know why you want the things you want, but also what would you do when you have access to these resources, be it money, knowledge, fame, power, love, whatever it is, why you want what you want, and what will you do when you get them. And I kid you not, two weeks, two weeks and just random encounters started in my life. New people coming my way, new opportunities showing up, just magic. Pure magic. And this is not the first time this happened to me. We just keep forgetting that being in control is an illusion. The reason why I'm sharing this with you today is considering we're at the beginning of the year, instead of goal setting, try to reflect on why you want these goals in the first place. What's your why? Because when you know your why, it really doesn't matter what is the way. The problem is we keep throwing the path, really forgetting why we wanted to head this way in the first place. If we focus on the why, it doesn't matter which way, and life will surprise you that the path best for you wasn't really the one you have picked. So know your why, set your intentions, and tie your achievement to something you would contribute to others. And I know some of you who may be listening today might think this is very irrational. Because we have been conditioned to view the world in a certain way, one that places emphasis on logic, rationality, and like concrete evidence. And as a result, we may dismiss the idea of serendipities and the notion that the universe has a way of presenting us with unexpected opportunities. And this logical, rational, concrete evidence perspective really operates from a fixed mindset and a heart full of fear and hesitation to take risks and explore new paths. If we stay fixated on what seems realistic, we will be limiting ourselves, failing to see the potential in the unknown. We can learn to trust the universe and embrace the mystery of life, recognizing that the best things often come when we least expect them.

SPEAKER_00 10:57

So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. What we really want seems impossibly out of reach and ridiculous to expect, so we never dare to ask the universe for it. I'm saying, I'm the proof that you can ask the universe for it. Please.

SPEAKER_02 11:16

The brilliant Jem Carry. Ask the universe for it, then work towards it while letting go how it will come to pass. Dare to ask the universe for it. No matter how crazy your dreams are, just write them down. Know why you want what you want and what will you do when you get there. May you always be blessed with good luck, serendipities, and the courage to embrace all the opportunities that come your way. May your journey through life be filled with wonders and delight. May you be a source of inspiration and strength to others, and may you always be blessed with abundance and joy. For now, goodbye till the next episode, and don't forget to subscribe to this show if you are inspired to be part of this community and this journey. I would also appreciate if you rate and review the podcast. This will help me understand what type of content you are enjoying and find useful to create more from. Bye there!