What I’m Turning My Focus Towards This Christmas

There is one thing I’ve been trying to be more mindful of this year, letting go of situations that are out of my control. It may sound cliche to some, but is really something I struggle deeply with. Perfection- the type that is unattainable- constantly crosses my mind. Whether it be in the perfect dinner, or a life circumstance that doesn’t happen to go my way, I strive for everything to be “in order.”

I recently read an article, “What’s Your ‘Sliding Doors’ Moment?” by a beautiful blogger, Cup of Jo. In the article the writer states, “there will always be roads not taken, missed moments and unmade choices. There will always be selves we never get to encounter.” All of this circulates around the main question being asked, what if that one little thing happened differently?

The day I read this, a cord struck in my head as I started to relate it to my own life. The entire article is written with such an effortless flow, grasping the attention of its readers, and tugging at your heart strings. What IF I let go of the situations that are out of my control? How do I truly know what is supposed to happen if I don’t let the simple question, what if, enter in to my life?

There will always be moments where the perfectionist in me tries to tackle my mind, but choosing to accept or deny those thoughts can alter the outcome. When you are so fully immersed in self thoughts and what you are doing, the important signals around you are being neglected.

Life is full of make or break moments, but we have the power to control our emotions, our thoughts, if we simply pay attention to them.

Maybe it is true, if I dove in to my natural instincts, every dish would look straight out of a magazine, or the table would be perfectly set, or I didn’t spill wine on my brand new dress. But does that mean I miss out on happier moments unfolding around me?

This Christmas, I’m focusing my attention to look around outside of my own thoughts. Focus on the laughter of others, the magical moments that are happening right before my eyes that I seem to ignore at other times. Let go of the perfect dinner, the perfect outfit, the perfect series of events. What if I let go and embrace life’s quirky moments…