3 Points to Ponder
- Our striving for perfection can leave us in pain. Pain of failure. Pain of shame. Pain of regret. None of these are life-giving or help you in the journey. Where do you need to let go of perfection to gain peace?
- No one knows exactly what they are doing, so give grace. Who needs your grace right now as they try to figure it out?
- In your current season of life, what are you celebrating? What are you lamenting? Who are you becoming?
2 Quotes to Share
“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” – John Lennon
“The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.” – Thomas S. Monson
1 Story of Impact
This past week, I had a great conversation with a friend a few years further down the road from me, having recently become a Grandma. She made an interesting comment, “I like the stage I’m in, but I’m still trying to figure it out.” This got me thinking about the different seasons of life. I always thought at some point, I’d get this figured out. Or at least have more answers, only to realize each stage has its unique challenges. My kids are 16 and 14 and parenting them is very different than when they were 4 and 2. My parents are 79 and deceased, very different than when they were in their 50s and me in my 20s. The goal of life is not to try to hold onto one season as that is impossible and a fool’s task to try. Rather, each of us is on a journey, one where we grow in maturity to leave a legacy for others to stand on our shoulders to see further and love deeper because of the life we lived. It requires letting go and being ok with loss as it is part of the journey. It demands forgiveness; otherwise, we will get stuck on the river banks of bitterness, unable to cross. It is celebrating the wins and the good times because your bucket needs to be refilled. And to quit searching for the right answer since the right answer often doesn’t exist. Instead, seek wisdom, make a decision based on the information at hand, and move forward, learning to adjust the sails as you go. Life doesn’t need to be perfect to be good, so act accordingly.
