The Steel Trap Called Bargaining

One of the stages of grief is bargaining. It's when, for example, someone is dying and s/he makes a bargain with God to live longer. It's natural, in that sense, to want to get what we want through bargaining. But like all the other stages of grief, bargaining is also a stage of acceptance—a stage in which many of us get stuck for entire lifetimes. Bargains look like this: IF I THEN you'll…. Or, IF you, THEN I'll…. IF/THEN. That's a bargain. But often these are bargains with the devil in which we sell our souls for a magic trick. IF I stay and become very loving, THEN he won't hit me again. IF I hang into this heinous job for ten more years THEN I can retire and finally get to do what I want. IF I say the right magical word or do the righ magical deed, THEN she will stop drinking. And these are just examples of the more obvious. Are you bargaining? Come learn how to stop bargaining and start LIVING!