I glanced at the license plate of the car in front of me and burst out laughing. In large letters, boldly carved around the plate, the message “One day at a time. I’m a work in progress,” deeply resonated within me. I laughed while sitting in the traffic jam, then reflected on the deeper wisdom of this humorous assertion. As the car moved away from me, I could see that indeed, in the context of that admission, nothing can restrain us from loving who we are–this work in progress.
Years ago, I found myself working endlessly on important projects but never really enjoying them precisely because they were “work in progress.” I had the impulse, at the time, to see only what was lacking, but not the opportunity, the progress towards love as I moved through the process.
In relationships, we get concerned if we believe they are only ‘work in progress.’ We stop celebrating the achievements, the connections. Even our own journey towards wholeness often gets dismissed as only work in progress. A simple shift in perspective is necessary when you arrive at this conclusion. Can you develop the ability to see the ‘wholeness’ in the process? One day at a time, can you see you are already enough? Can you celebrate wholeness and progress in your life and live fully ‘one day at a time’?
Try this meditation to bring yourself deeper into a vision of your wholeness:
- Breath in and out, and witness as objectively as possible your thoughts in the moment. Notice the negative messages in your mind, the voice of the critic pushing you down. Evaluate kindly whether or not those voices trigger your sense of defeat and self-hate.
- Be open to those difficult emotions but notice those are created by a voice in your mind. Stay present without judging, while seeing the larger picture of your life.
- Look for the space in between breaths. Your journey is not more or less, or shaped by triumph or defeat. Your journey is defined by the ability to stay present as you embrace courage and keep going. Love is what defines every moment, not the voice self-defeat.
- Without repressing anything, in the spirit of lovingkindness, moment by moment, see your love growing in the stillness. Lower the volume of the critic’s voice, let love open your heart to the wisdom of your true self. Experience your wholeness from within.
Juan Velasco