X is for Xanadu by Conlee Ricketts #atozchallenge

is for Xanadu

The perfect place.

The word “perfect” doesn’t scare me.  Using it doesn’t set me up for unrealistic expectations even with my perfectionist tendencies.  I think it scares other people more than me because I find that people like to remind me “nothing’s perfect” or “perfection is overrated” as a way to comfort me when I use the word, you know, just in case.  I don’t know why they feel the need to protect me, but I’m not even sure I completely agree that “nothing’s perfect.”

I learned about an exercise a year ago to help me visualize better and feel better.  I close my eyes and try to experience how it would feel in everything in my life were perfect—and yes that is the word that was used “perfect.”  If you know to whom to credit this exercise to, please let me know.

It’s a surprisingly easy and relaxing thing to do—to imagine how perfect feels.  The key is the feeling of perfection not the seeing of perfection.

I did this for a few days—stopped—life got in the way—shitty—and I neglected my perfect.  Then one morning after I sent my daughter off to school, and the silence was screaming at me, and I was beating myself up for being taken advantage of, humiliated, or betrayed—take your pick—I decided I needed to sit and feel perfection for awhile.

I sat down, closed my eyes, and let out a big sigh.  As I was sitting there imagining the feeling of a perfect life I had an epiphany—the perfection I was feeling was the way I felt about my life right now.  I am living a perfect life.  My eyes popped open and I was smiling—my life is perfect right now—wow.

Perfection was a feeling--not the tiny house I rent, or the temporary feelings of sadness I had, or the balance in my bank account.  It wasn’t the weather, the city where I live, the chipped china plates, nail polish stains in the sink, broken floor tiles, or muddy dog prints on my floor.  I am in the middle of having a perfect life and it feels like peace.

The circumstances I find myself in will come and go and waiting for the perfect life isn’t necessary at all.  It took me awhile but I get it—it’s not a place; it’s a feeling, and if I can tap into that feeling every now and again to remind me, then I get to experience perfection right now.  I get to set down the hurt and anger and realize how great I have it right now—muddy dogs and all.

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