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Adjust to the Shape of the Sushi, Control vs. Flexibility

By: Judy Weigle

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{This story is told in the characterization of Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) in Legally Blonde.}

It happened last night. I was having dinner with my friend Marilyn at a killer, new Japanese restaurant in La Quinta, CA, called Okura. The decor is hip, contemporary; the service mixed culture; the food is unbelievably delicious and beautifully presented. I was mentioning to the owner that he resembles Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court. Very eclectic place.

Both Marilyn and I have eaten there before, but I'm a super trooper patron. I've introduced many of my friends to the place. In fact, I was just there last week with my pet psychic, Rev. Cathy. It was the perfect place for her since she's a vegetarian; I guess out of respect for her clients, the animals.

My food choices have been all over their menu; a rarity for me. I think I'm like a lot of people who find a couple winners, and stick to those exclusive items. One of the reasons I've felt so comfortable experimenting with a variety of dishes at this restaurant is due to the artistic presentation. Okura has such creative chefs. I find that the shapes, sizes, and arrangement of the food on the plate is as desirable as the food itself.

Everything we ordered was totally delectable, but it all came in unexpected shapes and sizes. We were sad initially because we wanted to eat the pictures we had in our minds from previous dining trips. Then we became determined to figure out why other customers were being served shapes and sizes that we found preferable to ours. We flagged every server and asked them to name the food they just delivered so that we could get that exact same thing next time. Imagine how crushed we were when told that each chef differs in how each dish is presented. We had no control over the situation. We could not manipulate.

Ultimately, we just relaxed into the one aspect of our dining experience that remained consistent: the taste of the food. The more we stopped fighting the presentation war, the better we felt about eating and talking. You can only control so much. For us control freaks, feel good about knowing that we can still exercise control, by controlling our need to control. It is a decision to be troubled over unexpected circumstances; this decision can be reversed at any time. We each have the power to do that.

In the best interests of trying to enjoy life, I tried a new "uncontrol" method of reacting to unscripted incidences. The "uncontrol" philosophy is to exercise control over emotional reactions to situations; or to reconfigure the elements, in some cases. Strive to maintain control over: 1) emotions, 2) decision-making, 3) appreciation.

This morning, at the manicurist (big event at the University of Virginia on Saturday and I have to look my best...presentation is important), the pedicurist misunderstood my polish instructions and put the creams in reverse order. I paused, choosing to let the new color combination develop before rendering the change wrong. Well, I liked the unexpected color. Only words of praised followed, and a good tip. No one got hurt; no bruised egos requiring apologies.

My learning lesson in the last 48 hours has been about control: owning it, managing it, appreciating the benefits of it. It has been a low-stress 48 hours because I've been consciously choosing to manage control. I've been adjusting to the shape of the sushi.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Judy Weigle is the author of My Office Is A 3-Ring Circus! She is an expert speaker, podcaster, and writer on the subjects of career, change, fear, and repositioning. Feed the lions at her website www.circusoutthere.com

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