I had been trying for weeks to get new tires...The manufacturer put American style (all weather, run-flats) on our car when we purchased it. So when I went to get new ones, while still in Germany, it turns out that they are hard to get. Most Germans change their tires seasonally--because of course that makes more sense to drive summer (harder rubber) tires speeding down the autobahn (when there's no traffic jam or construction of course), and then winter tires (softer rubber) for better traction on slick, icy roads. But Americans- we like "all weather, all the time"...And yes I could have decided to go this route but then in theory that would have been more money-purchasing two sets of tires instead of one, etc...
Anyway, I had been trying to get the tires changed, especially since our registration was up and we needed to get the car inspected. So even though I knew we needed to get new tires, I figured I'd go ahead and go through inspection to see if there was anything else that needing fixing before getting our renewal. I knew the tires were bad, but I didn't know they were "unsafe..."
Oh boy, what a feeling when the car inspection guy says: "sorry ma'am, the tread on one of your tires is showing. This car is unsafe to drive. We need your license plates." And then what really got my in the gut was when he said: "park your car in the GROUNDED lot..." Man that word "grounded." I suddenly felt grounded. I felt like I couldn't move myself. It's a weird feeling to feel that out of control, and feel like I had no choice but just to relinquish all to whatever was next...
I am thankful that at least some part of me knew that I really couldn't fight it, and I just kind of little by little figured out what I needed to do next. And as I took those next steps, little by little a feeling of thankfulness came over me as I realized that the weekend was in front of me and we would have been driving the car all over the place on a slick, rain-filled road. And suddenly the fuss and hassle of dealing with getting new plates, calling the insurance company, getting the car towed--just did not compare to what could have happened driving around with unsafe tires. The car needed to be "grounded" not to create hassle in my life, but to save me (and my family!) from potential harm...And that new perspective made all the difference in my mood, and in my ability to figure out how to deal with the situation!
"The power of perspective change..." is what I have on the front of my website. And time after time, I've seen how being able to look at things differently has affected my life and ability to feel more open to possibility instead of being constrained by limiting my view to one way of seeing things...Sometimes we do get "stuck" and it is hard to see things differently. If you're feeling this way, reach out and I can help you create a vision that opens you up to more...YOU! wholefullyou@gmail.com