Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans . . . a sentiment expressed by many, immortalized by one, John Lennon.
It is a theory we all claim to recognize, and perhaps even intend to thwart by vowing to spend less time analyzing the nuances of life in favor of, well, actually living it.
Each year, right around this time, in fact, we take stock of the previous 365 days and assess their success based upon how closely they measured up to our blueprint, cobbled together over celebratory cocktails and toasts to new beginnings.
While our intentions may be (mostly) noble, the fact is that few of these goals tend to see the light of spring, never mind make their way through the entirety of the year unscathed. They are composed largely of dreams and fantasies, of vague resolutions to “be better” and finally make those major changes we have long talked of.
Which is fine, in theory. But it is the actions that ultimately dictate our course.
As someone with a deep aversion to change, and one who does not adjust well to the unexpected, spur of the moment twists in the narrative are fairly unwelcome - and yet, at this point, wholly expected.
While I do not favor composing resolutions, per se, there are always those abstract “To-Do” lists which morph from daily to weekly to monthly to seasonal to . . . well, may as well move them over into the “long-term” category to reassess at a later date.
But, just as often, there are those sharp turns in the road which spring out of nowhere, forcing us to reassess all the nice, neat lists in favor of facing reality head-on.
This year has been one of major transition, not all of it entirely unwelcome. Sometimes, the missing piece to your puzzle is in a place you least expected. You have only to pick it up and see if it’s the right fit.
Sure, there may be others left to discover; and sometimes, it’s easier to start fresh than continue to force the same square peg into a round hole. But we live, and we learn. And eventually, we find the right fit for ourselves.
There’s still a bit of time remaining in 2018. Best we all savor it before beginning our blueprint for next year.
Published: November 15, 2018