Embrace Your Story: Finding Joy in Imperfection and Presence

Give me a clever saying, and I’m all ears, I’ve been collecting quotes since I was a teen. Some stick, others just join the long list. Are they only nice sayings or could they shape our days?

We hear, “You are what you think, eat, do, consume.” It’s true. When I asked, ‘What if my life were my favorite story?’ something clicked. I wanted to test it.

Have you thought about it?

I started writing MY LIFE IS MY FAVORITE STORY in my daily reflections and noticed these themes:

Perspective: It was easier to see the bigger picture and let some things go. It was less about being perfect and more about the sum total. I have been consistent with my exercise and healthy foods, so it made it easy to enjoy the apple crisp on Sunday guilt-free.

I took imperfect action, but I did it! Having done it felt better and bigger than the mistakes I made. I animated a part of my art journey AND recorded my voice. Yes, I could hear the things I mispronounced, and the captions didn’t all match, but I did it!

Receiving now makes me smile. I hadn’t seen my sister for a while, and our schedules hadn’t been matching, but we found each other at the grocery store by change and had a good visit. Now we know that shopping together is an option.

Awareness: It’s been fun to notice what everyday things light me up: good conversations, listening and sorting ideas, service, one-on-one connections. Which has made me more comfortable sharing my ideas and voice. One day I only wrote: “I am” as a reflection, and it was enough.

I have been working on listening to my body better for a while, this experiment helped me to be more attune with my capacity and feelings too. I have made better choices because I knew how I felt. When I was tired I laid down, listened to a book, and took a nap in separate occasions without guilt. Big milestone that has come with practice, because if MY LIFE IS MY FAVORITE STORY, I must give it supporting evidence.

Embracing has brought acceptance, and acceptance the openness to be honest with myself and ask some tough questions, someday I will be ready to answer them…

Being Present: Because of culture and family, I have learned a whole lot about efficiency, that is why the breaks and naps felt hard before. But being in the go-go mode has also made me miss a few things. I loved the afternoon I sat with a friend and talked, the night I listen to my husband thoughts, the hugs -ALL the hugs- from my kids, the morning cuddles with my dog, the phone calls with loved ones, and seeing nature on my walks with new eyes.

A therapist introduced me to a neutrality mindset, being intentionally present gives me more and more glimpses of how it feels to be there. It’s about being impartial and not judging what happens. Practicing just BEING.  And because of that, letting go and rejection have been easier to swallow.

Embracing being my favorite story helped me remember what I needed and receive without questioning. Cristina a few years back would have talked to the manager of the store about the mistaken $25 coupon that covered the basket of things I was picking up. This time I did make sure it wasn’t a mistake (progress people, progress) and accepted it with a smile.

This month had ups and downs. I didn’t force myself to see only the good (as I had before) but I observed and loved. It made it easier to feel the feelings of the moment, to be able to release them, and take action in changing what I didn’t like. Keeping that short phrase present made my life lighter.

I know that it could also lead to perfectionism, comparisons, disappointments, and pressure about living up to unrealistic expectations. But it is not about forcing the idea, but about observing what is true about it already.

MY LIFE IS MY FAVORITE STORY, has taken root and I want to grow it with 5 MINUTES OF QUIET TIME each day next month. Will you join me?

Think about these words “If I live my life as a jungle, it becomes a jungle. So, if I live a life of peace and love. I become peace and love” – Grace Freeman (Don’t Miss This)

Will you find quiet time in your day too? Let’s see what it brings.