IMPERFECTION HAS ITS OWN BEAUTY

 

“But, there was a difference between

being stuck and choosing to stay.

Between being found and finding yourself.”

Martina Boone

Our compulsions and our commitments are not same. Yet, if we aren’t mindful, our commitments can easily become our compulsions.

I, sometimes, forget this truth and put myself under unnecessary mental pressure. Commitment to my plans and ideals are what go in making me a fine, efficient and trustworthy person. But, unless I re-examine my commitments, time to time, yes, they can become my compulsions and cause unnecessary stress in my life…

Nothing is perfect in Life. No plan is foolproof. Loyalty doesn’t come with a guarantee. Health can cheat us, no matter how cautious we try to be. Our children are not our possessions. Our work is not our Life… It’s just a part. And, we all know how important money in Life is. But, we also know this: our inner security doesn’t depend on the money in our Bank… The deep understanding in our hearts, that we will survive well even when money runs out – yes, that’s a different level of security. We also know how our craving for others’ appreciation and validation entraps us. We know, how our obsession about perfection only causes a killing anxiety within us…

So on and so on!

I love writing these Blogs. So, I write almost every day. When people like what I write, I feel happy and feel motivated to write more. But, over time, I have learnt to let go my desire to be appreciated and liked. I also have become mindful of my compulsions. I ask: “Am I writing this because people expect me to write?”

Nobody expects from me anything… It’s only my self-talk, a false presumption. Nobody expects me to live a ‘perfect’ Life. And, if I try living a perfect life, then, I should be ready to expect constant anxiety in my heart…

It’s okay, sometimes, to do nothing… to stop and Just smell the flowers along my way. It’s okay, sometimes, if my plans go for a toss. It’s okay, if I feel anxious and overwhelmed, sometimes… It’s a clear signal for me from Mother Nature… to let things just be and to let solutions unfold on their own!

For last one week, I was going through this sort of movement inside me. Many things were not going the way I was expecting them to go. At first, I tried hard to swim against the current… Finally, I let myself go with the flow!

Imperfection has its own beauty! We are able to appreciate it only when we make peace with it… The peace, which, the Serenity Prayer promises:

“God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.”

And, last night, a dear friend sent to me this amazing poem by Laura Ding Edwards:

 

THERE IS NO SHAME IN REARRANGING

 

By Laura Ding Edwards

 

If the mountain seems too big today,

then, climb a hill instead.

If morning brings you sadness,

then, it’s okay to stay in bed!

 

If the day ahead weighs heavy

and your plans feel like a curse,

there is no shame in rearranging;

Don’t make yourself feel worse!

 

If a shower stings like needles,

and a bath feels like you’ll drown,

if you haven’t washed your hair for days,

don’t throw away your crown!

 

A day is not a lifetime,

a rest is not defeat.

Don’t think of it as failure,

just a quiet, kind rest!

 

It’s okay to take a moment,

from an anxious, fractured mind.

The world will not stop turning,

while you get realigned!

 

The mountain will still be there,

when you want to try again.

You can climb it in your own time,

just love yourself till then!

 

Yes, I will climb the mountain in my own time. Till then, let me learn to love myself!

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic.’s.: pixabay

 

Video: Andre Rieu