Schroedinger's --pajamas???
the uncertainty principle…
Up-leveling...
On my recent beach retreat to Isle of Palms, one of my retreat participants had the snuggliest pajamas. The kind that you can walk around the house in, the kind that feels like a hug. Not gonna lie, I was a little jealous. I decided that a good gift for myself to celebrate the fabulous success of the retreat (90 % of them doing it again- that is success in my book!) would be a really great sleep ensemble. : )
Shopping...
Online shopping is problematic, because you can't feel the fabric the fit or really see the color. I order, open, return, repeat. Not saying I'm picky, just in search of quintessential sleepwear.
Paradise found?
I realized that it has been a week now since I received the package with my latest attempt at dreamy pjs. Box still remains unopened. Seeing the package is weirdly satisfying. Then I realized why I'm not opening it. As long as the box stays closed, the contents have the potential to be amazing and I have a surprise waiting for me. And conversely, it could prove to be yet another unsatisfying purchase in a long line of returns. Ever the optimist, I believe the former.
What's with the Quantum Mechanics reference?
Shroedinger's Cat is an experiment on the uncertainty principle. Here is my ultra simplified explanation: The unopened box holds a cat, and the question of the state of the cat (live or dead) can only be known when the box is opened upon observing the cat. So it is perceptually, both alive and dead at the same time. (disclaimer: I'm not a quantum anything expert btw.)
Satisfaction denied
In my unopened package scenario I am exchanging actually having the satisfaction of the beautiful pj's for the hope and anticipation of them being great, while avoiding potential disappointment.
You can't handle the truth
Anticipation is almost as great as the realization of a goal. But it would seem that I am buffering myself from disappointment. This is not a pattern I want to create. I am sure I can handle it, here and in all my life scenarios. Failure, disappointment, loss are all part of life. Allowing myself to feel them is part of the human experience.
LIGHTBULB
When a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps." "Great success is built on failure, frustration, even catastrophy."
Lady, we are talking pajamas here...
Yeah, I know we are talking about a retail purchase, but the habits we build, and the stories we tell ourselves in small things, grow into the habits and stories we hold around the big things.
Success
This could be seen as holding even this tiny success at arms length. But why? To avoid disappointment. It's really not about the pajamas. It's about allowing myself to celebrate a win! That retreat was a WIN! So instead of protecting myself from disappointment, it's time I open the dang box instead of shrinking away from the next big thing, worrying about it being successful or not...