There are some moments that, no matter what you try, will never be perfect. The plans just don’t and won’t work out. In every moment we have the choice to sink into suffering about how imperfect things are or we can move gently despite the challenges.
We are able to choose the thoughts in our minds. This doesn’t mean denying problems. It means seeing situations for what they truly are and not getting wrapped up in judgements about them. A situation can be made infinitely worse if you get caught up in judging how awful or wrong it is as opposed to observing with curiosity. If instead of thinking “how awful!” or “how inconvenient!” we took a breath and thought something more along the lines of “how interesting!” or “how peculiar!” we could likely keep ourselves from reacting from habit and old routines. The pause and curiosity will allow us to respond in a way that is deliberate and intuitively considered, instead of possibly saying or doing something we might later regret. It gives us a chance to feel what our intuition is guiding us towards. A response closer to perfect in an imperfect situation.
I ask myself each day if it is possible to slow down and consider every situation, good and bad, with a more deliberate focus. I love to see the different ways that I respond that weren’t part of my prior life, before I started practicing taking a deep breath and paying attention. It has made a difference and it has allowed slow and gradual change in my interactions with everything throughout my day for the better. I don’t find myself ruminating about what I’ve said and done nearly as much as I have in the past.
I encourage you to try this. Life isn’t perfect, but the way we respond can be an opportunity to practice being conscious about our responses and behaviour.
