Life is messy!
Wait don’t leave. It’s OK. My point is, no one’s life is perfect. If you think it is, or worse yet, they tell you it is, they are lying. Also, they probably have more s**t going on that you can even imagine.
Life isn’t perfect and that’s OK because if it were, it most certainly would be boring. Perfect means there is no deviation. There wouldn’t be ups or downs. There wouldn’t be highs and lows. I know on the surface it may sound enticing, but it would get boring. We need those peaks and valleys. I’m not saying things can’t be good in life. You should long to have no regrets. Hopefully you can reach a point where you wouldn’t change anything about your life. That does not, however, mean everything is going to be great, or “perfect.” It simply means you accept your life as is—imperfections, inconsistencies, disappointments, frustrations, annoyances, joys, successes, happiness, contentment and everything in between all those. You accept it all and are OK with it all.
This is far from natural or easy for me. It is a conscious daily effort of which I have to remind myself. It is so unnatural to me, I am often unable to do it. Rather, I get too caught up in the EMOTION of what is happening, I simply forget to accept it and allow that it is what it is. Whatever has happened, has happened. The end. You can accept it or not, but time and life still move forward.
For the record, this is true of good or bad. I’m not saying don’t be happy about the good or sad about the bad, I’m just saying it’s done. Embrace it and move forward. For me this is especially true of the bad things that happen in life. I can forgive others almost instantly, but I will beat myself up again and again. That behavior honestly does nothing for me. It doesn’t help me move forward. It doesn’t help me feel better. Rather, I (or we) need to simply embrace it, learn the lesson we need from it, and move forward. Again, life is already moving on. Our own life is still moving forward. Lingering on these things (good or bad) means we are planting one foot in that moment. However, our other foot continues moving (even if you think it doesn’t). Some part of us always grounded in reality, in life, and it doesn’t stop for ANYTHING. So, recognize it or not, before long you are going to be doing the splits—all because you didn’t keep walking.
My advice (to myself) but to anyone reading as well, is to keep walking—even if it takes a conscious, daily, effort and reminder. “Keep walking.” I have taken what I know from this and I am moving forward. No matter how large or small. Keep walking. Yes. Life has consequences for actions but those will come whether you choose to keep walking or keep one foot stuck in the past. Be open to what is coming in your life. Embrace it. If there is something you can and want to change, do it and keep walking. If not, let it go and keep walking. If you stumble again the same way, it’s OK, keep walking. None of us is perfect and we never will be. But we are all on our path and the only direction is forward.
No matter what, keep walking.