Perfect Day

The song I probably play most is Perfect Day - the version I have is the 1997 Children in Need one, with various voices. I play it when I am having a great day. And I play it when I am not, as a reminder that I have the power to turn around a miserable day into a more positive one. I read the other day that we’ll all experience suffering - but that we choose if we experience misery. And I do believe that with enough love and inner resource we can, and obviously do, work through lots of hideous stuff to emerge stronger or with new insight.

Similarly, we can each decide if our day, our lives, are ‘perfect’ (or at least good enough to bring contentment). I think we can pour a lot of money and planning into trying to have a good time. I don’t know about you, but the times I find myself enjoying life most are not usually the ones that have been much anticipated, or have cost a fortune, or have required a whole lot of energy to make it happen. My perfect moments are when I catch myself at peace with myself and whoever I’m with. Swinging arms with my daughter along to Dancing Queen. Really really enjoying the food that is in front of me. Being unexpectedly complimented. Noticing the berries in the hedge. It’s all about being totally present, not sucked back into the past or worried about the future. Avoiding the “I’ll be happy when...” way of thinking that postpones our enjoyment of the here and now even if it isn’t what we were expecting, even if we want things to be different.

It is of course a balancing act - whilst I love the feeling of contentedness and that at one level all is “just right” in the world, I also don’t want to lose my sensitivity to the fact that there is much that is not right in the world, and my drive to make things better for ourselves and for others. But then again I like a challenge :D

What about you?