Take It for What It Is

I often see recurring themes in areas of my life, and when I notice one of these themes I share it here.  If I’m experiencing this, it’s likely someone else is too.

As the year comes to a close, I remember that a goal for 2022 was to leave the bad things behind to make room for good things.  Ten months into this effort, I realize that few things can be labeled as entirely good or entirely bad.

When you’re talking about something simple, like a book for example, this practice is pretty cut and dry.  I started a book a few weeks ago that was just bad, so I put it on the shelf and started a different one.  I actually did this twice in a row, and I’m glad I did.  There’s no reason to suffer through something that’s supposed to be enjoyable when there are so many options out there.  Those books weren’t serving their purpose, so I moved on.

This became more complicated when I realized that most things in life are inherently imperfect.  I’ve never met a perfect person or had a perfect relationship with someone.  People can do bad things, but most people aren’t all bad.  What can be considered bad enough to remove them from your life?

There’s no exact “line” or written list of unforgivable traits or actions.  We get to decide what we take and what we leave.  Maybe that doesn’t mean eliminate the whole person.  Maybe that means take them for what they are and leave the rest without the expectation of perfection.