The Moments of And

 AND, it is such a lovely word, all-encompassing, inclusive. Over the past couple of years, I have changed how I talk to include and more often. I love you, and  I am hurt that you didn't call. I am unhappy in my career, and  I know it pays the bills.

In using and more often, I believe we open ourselves up to the possibilities of both. As humans, I have also noticed that we don't like holding both, the messy place of I want to go back to grad school, and I am scared to death of that change. 

We want things to be packaged neat and tidy. We want to believe that once I make a change or make a decision, the hard part is over. Unfortunately, not that is when the messy begins—moments of and happen all the time in our lives.

• I need to get some work done, and I need to catch up on my sleep.

• I need to work out, and I am behind on work.

• I am sad about the break-up, and I know it was the best thing for me.

• I want to figure out what comes next in my life, and I am exhausted right now.

• I am happy about all the changes in my life, and change is stressful.

We have AND's all the time. Holding them both is the challenge. Because bottom line it is hard to feel two contradictory emotions at one time!! AND the more awareness we can bring to how often those moments happen in our lives, the more space we give to both truths, the more we can allow emotions to surface, the happier we will be.

Growth comes in "the moments of and." When we learn how to recognize the beauty in both, start getting comfortable with the messy and begin to make space for two completely separate truths, then we start to see life for what it truly is: a fun, challenging, exhilarating, exhausting, joyous. terrifying ride!!