Begin by finding a comfortable seat or even laying down wherever you are.
Close your eyes and allow your shoulders to drop.
Take one slow breath in through your nose and a long easy sigh out your mouth.
Beautiful.
Now imagine you're holding a precious snow globe in your hands.
The kind with a perfect little scene inside,
Tiny trees,
A cozy house,
Sparkling snow.
And as you look closer,
You can't believe what you see.
This snow globe is your holiday,
Your decorations,
Your gifts,
Your plans,
Everything you want to be just right.
Then,
Unexpectedly,
The globe is jolted and given a big frantic shake.
Watch it happen.
See all the glitter and snow swirl into total chaos.
The perfect scene disappears in a blizzard of sparkling mess.
Notice how that feels in your body right now.
Maybe it's a tightness in your chest,
A clench in your jaw,
A flutter of it has to be perfect.
Keep watching the snow globe.
You're not trying to fix it.
You're not forcing the snow to settle faster.
You're just holding it gently,
Watching.
Lengthen your breath.
With each breath,
The snow begins to slow on its own.
Inhale,
Tiny flakes drift.
Exhale,
They float downward.
Inhale,
Slower still.
Exhale,
Softer.
Feel the globe growing calmer in your palms.
No effort from you.
Gravity is doing the work.
Time is doing the work.
Love is doing the work.
As the snow settles,
You see the little scene again.
Not flawless.
Maybe a tree is slightly crooked or one light is out,
But it's still beautiful.
Perfectly imperfect.
Completely good enough.
Silently say to yourself just once,
I honor what makes me perfectly imperfect right now.
Take one more slow breath in.
Let it go.
At the sound of the chime,
You'll come back from this practice and bring the wisdom of slowing down with you.
When you're ready,
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Open your eyes if they were closed and carry this quiet knowing with you.
The snow always settles when you slow down and breathe.
You've got this,
My perfectly imperfect friend.
You
