Why it is good to have just a ‘Pla’

This dialogue from the popular TV show Friends just cracked me up so much that my stomach started to hurt after a while!

The next day, while replaying this scene in my head, a thought struck me.

While in this scene Phoebe (played by Lisa Kudrow) has absolutely no idea about her next steps, I began to think about how we all sometimes make a “PLAN”, “plan”, “Plan”, “pLaN” or “PLAn” right down to the last detail. (See what I did there?)

As human beings, we all have a certain notion of who we want to be, who the world should remember us as, our dreams, goals and even the path to those goals. Most of us are very risk averse and prefer having everything planned. This gives a sense of direction and security. If Plan A doesn’t work, well we have plan B. Safe.

While I think a good amount of planning and preparation is necessary, overdoing it can lead to disappointment when things don’t really go that way. I think it is better to have just a “Pla” and then see where things take you in pursuit of it. This way, there is an unknown factor that adds a lot of excitement and curiosity to life. We may end up in a much more wonderful place than our plan could ever take us. I have personally practiced this and I can absolutely vouch for the fact that I have even learnt some life skills and growth techniques during the impromptu part of my pla’s. I just feel so enriched and happy at the end of it all.

This method is also a shield from the anxiety and depressive state that you may enter if the plan goes awry. As human beings, our plans are our creations and a failed plan could be as hurtful as parents losing their child. As a spiritual person, I also believe that leaving room in your pla allows God and the forces of nature to take you to where you really belong, along paths you may have never imagined.

As they say, you never know until you try it. Give it a go! Experience for yourself how light and happy this technique will make you feel.