Loving What Is

Today I sat in a circle of women who open-heartedly shared their stories, spoke of unique struggles, and challenging circumstances.  As I listened, I noticed a common thread.  Each story was laced with feelings of inadequacy, uncertainty, less-than, and longings for contentment.

Our longing to feel at home in our life experience is met with the thought that everyone else has things figured out and we are just mucking it up.  What if that belief is a lie?  Perfectionism destroys our chance of living life from a place of soft, sweet, surrender to what is.

The plain and simple fact is this: none of us have it figured out.  This life is a mystery, feelings come and feelings go, relationships end, anxiety rears its head as does anger and resistance.

What if today we could choose to say “yes” to it all.  Not just the “good” feelings, but even the discomfort.  What if we could meet ourselves where we are and let go of self-defeating judgment.  What if this life can be trusted and our only job is to live in a way that we are not only kind to others, but also kind to ourselves?

Dear today:  I am grateful for you.  I say thanks that I can walk on this earth, maybe notice something beautiful in the midst of struggles.  I will try to laugh – even if my laughter is at my own patterns of behavior which cause me trouble.  I will live here today, in this body, and try to at least once notice my breath.  I surrender to all the things that you have to offer.