Jimbo's Jots

I’m sure you’ve heard the news story about the monkeys taken at the Dallas Zoo earlier this week. New reports state that they have been found and returned back to the zoo. They were deemed unharmed and will be in quarantine for a bit of time before returning to their habitat. Zoo officials and authorities are still looking for the responsible parties.

You probably also have said or maybe have heard the phrase, “Not my circus, not my monkeys”. The general thought behind this is the issues you are facing are not my issues and not of my concern.

I was sitting in a counseling session recently with a client. I noticed his demeanor was different than previous times. In the past, he would come in and sessions were more conversation and catching up. We dealt with his concerns of the session each time, yet the concerns were more of not a lot of concern in his head. Until the last session. Something was a little off.

As we continued in session, he talked about recent stresses – work related stress, relationship stress, some family crisis. It just seemed like he was carrying the weight of the world, not just on his shoulders, but throughout his whole body. I even said at one point, “You feel like you own the circus and all the monkeys are lost!” And that was it for him!! For him, it seemed as if he realized all of his concerns happened all at once – as if someone had come in and taken all of his monkeys.

What about you? You’ve had those days haven’t you. It may have been as recent as yesterday or maybe several months ago. So let me help you a bit with ideas when the monkeys seem to have been lost:

• Tackle what you can for that moment / day – sometimes trying to look for all of the monkeys seems pretty daunting. You just need to find the first one. So decide what needs your attention right now. It may be the most pressing issue or the biggest priority. Focus one monkey at a time.
• Understand that you may not be responsible for the lost monkey – sometimes the reality is that other people and the angst they are experiencing are projected onto you. So, maybe because you value them and the relationship, you are pulled into their circle of anxiety. Sometimes this leads to you feeling like your monkey is lost. A zookeeper knows his monkeys. By knowing your monkeys, you are able to manage your anxiety and what is being thrown in your zoo.
• Today is a new day – if you read through the monkey saga, there was tremendous panic when they were lost. There was also tremendous celebration in the days following as they were found. Each day brings its own troubles and joys. So maybe today may seem a little chaotic and create moments of frustration, there is always a new day to try again.

I don’t know what monkeys you’re housing or chasing around in your mind. Some maybe are struggling with finding some of the lost monkeys from long ago or maybe recent events. Learn these basic thoughts and live knowing that your monkeys are there and are your to take care of.

Be blessed! Be blessings to others along the way!