When the first day of vacation brings rain, sometimes it gives you a gift of a rainbow!

I was reminded that what seems like the worst thing sometimes brings unexpected gifts.  I know that rain on a vacation is far from the worst thing that can happen in life.  However, when visiting sunny California it wasn’t what I expected.  But the good news is that we saw a spectacular rainbow.  The message for me was not to get hooked into expectations and slip into disappointment.

During the week my husband and I were on vacation I had several opportunities to notice when I had slipped into disappointment due to the weather.  I hadn’t expected four days of rain – it wasn’t in the forecast when we left home.  And, each time I found myself feeling let down because we couldn’t do what we had planned I gently reminded myself that there is always a plan B.

Plan B often still involved rain, however I found myself enjoying the experience rather than feeling like I had to settle for something that was lesser.  It was a great opportunity for me to recognize my judgments, be aware, and then let them go.  I laughed at myself on a regular basis as I continued to have opportunities to catch myself judging the weather.  As you can see, recognizing your judgments and letting them go is an ongoing experiment.

Here’s a picture of one Plan B.  I expect that you will get a chuckle out of it!

What judgments have you noticed lately?  Did you notice in the moment or after the fact?  Were you able to give yourself some space to let them go?  Were you gentle with yourself?