Accept + Allow. You can't always get what you want.

I had the opportunity and great pleasure to see The Rolling Stones this past week. On the set list was this song, a classic for sure: “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Sage advice from some individuals that have been together for more than five decades. I’ve always loved this song and the lyrics. At the studio, we even created some t-shirts with this very advice printed on the back. 
I’ve thought about it often, studied, and even meditated on this idea. What I have come to know about myself is this: it is always my expectation of an event or a relationship, that when Experienced, falls short of what I “thought” it would be. There is a story line running in my mind about how my life should go, when in fact the only control I have is my behavior and not what may come. I have also found, that I am NEVER lacking for what, in fact, I need. This has taken decades to understand and it’s never easy. Upon reflection of the most difficult times in my life, the times when I suffered most, were also the times that my expectations were the furthest from what actually happened, or as some may say, reality. It was in that gap that I became more fully embodied in who I am. Those moments where there is no choice and no turning back, I was required to struggle and grow, leaving me sometimes proud, sometimes humbled and definitely more human. 
As a child, I remember throwing tantrums or pouting because I didn’t get what I wanted. I think there are times when fatigue and weakness take over and I still throw tantrums, but then if I try sometimes, I find I got exactly what I needed. 
Namaste, 
​Kim