Every Moment Is Perfect Helaine Iris © 2003

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans”. —My father

This morning I woke up to rain for the sixth day in a row. It’s cold out. It’s the end of May, it’s supposed to be spring. All of my vegetable seeds and young tomato and broccoli plants sit patiently in the garage awaiting the tilled earth. I was planning to use this 3-day holiday weekend to plant my garden. Now, I can’t!

Last weekend I went to visit my family in Florida. The trip was planned for months. I’d been looking forward to seeing my family and getting some well needed warmth and sunshine. Suddenly, two days into the visit, my parents got called out of town for an emergency. Our visit got cut short.

Two disappointments. Two reasons to be grumpy and wonder, “why me?” I noticed a theme here. I was getting tweaked over plan changes.

With these disappointments, I realize, I have two choices, two opportunities to look and wonder what the opportunity for growth and freedom might be.

I can either stay stuck in the grumpiness that things aren’t working out the way I want. Or, I can look into what is beneath my frustration. Once again my stress comes down to my desire to want something to be different than it is. I’m often so attached to my plans I’m not flexible enough to see the perfection in what truly is in front of me.

How are you stuck, or attached to your plans working out a certain way? What opportunities are you not noticing?

Here are a few tips that helped me find the perfection in my circumstances:

1. Acknowledge the disappointment. It’s there. Give yourself space to feel the natural disappointment present when things don’t work out the way you want. The more you resist what you’re feeling the more of it you’ll feel.

2. Become an observer of reality. Ask yourself, “What’s real in this moment?” The more you can experience reality for what it is and not take it personally the less subject you are to it.

3. Ask yourself, “How might this situation be perfect, even if I can’t see it now?”

4. Be willing to listen and be open to spontaneity. Be curious about what else is possible.

This article is the result of my willingness to find the perfection in a cold, rainy May day. As far as my Florida trip went, I wound up having two unexpected and glorious days of quality time, with my grown son, truly a precious gift.

I continue to perfect my relationship with this ongoing challenge of accepting and flowing with reality as it presents itself. I am encouraged by knowing whatever happens will, in fact, be perfect.

It’s YOUR life…imagine the possibilities!