Good morning lovelies -

Have you ever noticed just how often you are repeating a pattern - one that you created for yourself? I hear you saying, well, yeah sometimes, but it's pretty difficult to spot that pattern. Or, even better, why does it matter? I'm bored. (Hi dad!)

Ok, fair. Sherlock Holmes isn't fun for everyone, all the time. But, the thought that's occupying my brain right now, however, is just how easy it is to focus on what we choose, consciously or subconsciously, see what we normally see, find the proof that we are where we think we are, and stay comfortable. You know, “if you're a hammer, all you can see is a nail.”

Who are you calling a hammer!?

I'm an optimist. For me, this is a pretty great way to walk through life. I like that when something goes wrong, I say, and I mean, that “everything always works out for the best.” 

But guess what that also means? I typically will assume that all problems are minimal. I can avoid digging into these problems because, well, everything always works out.  I can find the positive and let the red flags or the actually problems “resolve themselves.” So even though I'm happy and less stressed, the results aren't always what I'm after. It's certainly helped me stay in relationships a little too long. So perhaps you see how my eternal optimism doesn't always serve me. 

Does this mean I'm going to change? No, honestly, I like this eternal optimism. But I uncovered another layer, a layer where I'm looking in one direction, chronically, and often missing what's going on in the other. And now, as long as I remember to take a look at this pattern, I can ask myself where I'm looking, I can take a look behind me once in a while. The subconscious becomes slightly conscious. 

So where are you looking? And what have you been missing? Might be fun to find out. 

Photo by Dan Panzarella

Love always, 

Lauren

THANKS FOR READING!