#14 Uninvited twists of life

This week was a hell of a ride. An emotional setback. This week was a wake-up call that one event can unleash a sequence of reactions. Good and bad ones. And it seemed like life had mainly bad ones and some crucial life lessons in store for me this week.

The trivial importance of contracts

Lesson number one of this week: Contracts are a matter of interpretation.

Life demonstrated that even if a rental agreement states a grace period of 3 months, specific circumstances allow a landlord to kick out tenants within four weeks. And people will do it if they see an advantage for themselves.

I've learned that money rules. If one can gain, others are second. That's life. And if you are at the bottom of the power hierarchy, it's better to get out of that situation soon.

Could we have avoided this situation? Possibly, and maybe not.

Will I be more careful with contracts in the future? Maybe, maybe not.

Will I still believe people can be decent, thoughtful, and trusted? Definitely yes.

One bad week doesn't make a bad month or a bad year. Shit happens. And even if it was a shock at first, maybe being kicked out of a house is just an announcement of changes with new chances.

The fundamental importance of home

Lesson number two of this week: Maslow was right.

The American psychologist and philosopher Abraham Maslow proposed a theory of human motivation in 1943 which is still widely accepted and known as “Maslow´s hierarchy of needs.” It suggests that human beings have a certain set of needs that must be met in a specific order. Maslow describes five levels of needs and states that only after lower ones are satisfied can individuals focus on higher-level needs.

The lowest level represents our basic survival needs and includes the need for shelter. Meaning having a roof over your head. The second level illustrates the need for safety. It refers, among other conditions, to the need for physical security and stability.

Only if these two levels are fulfilled do human beings have the capacity to focus on the third level, their need for love and belonging.

When I received the text message that we have to leave the place we had called home for two years, a thousand questions flooded my mind. And to none of them, I had an answer. Suddenly life was chaos. Everything I took for granted - where I sleep, eat, laugh, love, and work - was in jeopardy. And this messes around with your mind. And when your mind is not at ease, neither is your body.

The first two days of running around and looking for solutions were exhausting and beyond frustrating. The housing market has gone crazy, and dealing with time pressure does not help in a hot real estate market.

But with every day, little steps forward were made, and today, five days later, optimism returns.

Having found different options - none of them perfect, but all of them possible - is good enough for me today. If in crisis, take it one step at a time.

The irreplaceable importance of humility

Lesson number three of this week: I am incredibly blessed.

After hearing the dreadful news, the first thing we did was reach out to everyone we know. When you do that, several things happen.

First of all, you realize that you are not alone. Furthermore, when you start conversations, you will learn so much about others, their situations, and their struggles And even if there’s nobody who can solve your problem for you, every single person has some answers to some questions. And if you listen and are open to new ideas, different perspectives, and unique alternatives, you will eventually find your way out of your setback.

Seeing people, who are struggling too, but don't have the same emotional support or financial means as I do, made me realize that my problems are not the center of the universe. It reminded me that we all struggle in our own way. Sometimes unseen and unheard.

I have an incredible partner who sees me and hears me. And I don't take this for granted. Because to listen and truly see others when you are stressed out yourself is difficult. Unspeakably difficult. I am humbled that he still makes me laugh and dances with me in the living room, even in difficult times.

I am beyond grateful to have him by my side.