You know how when something hard or stressful is happening, one of the things that often works to make us feel better is to stop, take a breath and remind ourselves that things will be fine. Eventually. Someday. After a good night’s sleep. Maybe tomorrow, maybe in a week. When whatever it is passes. It doesn’t always work, but it often does.

Well, here’s another thought, along those same lines, that helps me.

I’m temporary.

No, I don’t mean that someday I’ll be gone from here. Though that’s true, it’s not really much consolation.

What I do mean is that the person I am today is temporary. I will be someone new, slightly different (and hopefully improved) tomorrow. I’ll be even more different in a year.

The peace that comes with this thought – that this version of me is only temporary – is kind of surprising. But I think of it as a pretty big set of do-overs. If I really screw up, I get to be someone else in the future. And I can choose to make that future be the near future, if I want. You know, like I can tell myself tomorrow that I am no longer the kind of person who makes that same mistake. (I’ll make new ones, but wait…that’s not necessarily helpful!)

If I feel stuck right now, I know the new me will be moving on. I’m always in transition.

If I’m bored, well… of course I’ll have all kinds of new things to think about and practice and be very soon.

I don’t want to use this as any kind of escape from responsibility or accountability. It’s just a way of looking at things that gives me peace and little bit of hope. Which is fitting, given the season.

In the meantime, remember these things: You are loved. We are all loved. Let’s all be kind. And in all things – progress, not perfection!

Love and light,

Maggie