A lot of our suffering in life comes about when we are struggling with our current circumstances. It applies to all things in life, big and small. What we were hoping for turns out differently from the way we expect. Romantic relationships that we thought and hoped would be forever, end. Sudden illnesses bringing sharp changes to our lives, force us to adapt.

I’m in a transition period where I’m not going in a particular direction, no milestones to reach, no new goals to accomplish. Things are going well overall. I have a job where I can essentially live anywhere (at least in the US), I’m healthy, I get to practice yoga and go for walks in nature within a fifteen minute drive, organic and delicious foods are readily available, and I live in a safe environment as much as Oakland can provide.

It feels a bit strange to not have any conflicts to struggle through or relationship quandaries to seek understanding. I actually can think and plan and just enjoy what life has to offer.

Now I realize what it is that I’m feeling in this moment. Contentment. It’s admittedly a foreign feeling but I’m going to enjoy the moment while it lasts.

Last Sunday gave me pause though. I waited until the morning of the antique market to decide I wasn’t going but then changed my mind and went anyway later in the afternoon. On the way to the antique market, there was inexplicable congestion to the parking lot so we accepted that time was short and turned around and switched to plan B. Plan B was a disappointment when we couldn’t find the location of the new cafe and when we did find it, it was closed, an hour earlier than what was posted online. Plan C was a bust when the pop up ran out of dough two hours before the projected end. So what did I learn from this day?

If you’re going to be ambitious about what you want to do, you have to plan for it. So that if your plans don’t play out, you can at least have comfort in knowing that you tried. Then it’s up to you to find something else to give you joy. Be spontaneous. Do something new.

And if you didn’t plan for all the things you want, the same solution applies. Find something else to give you joy.

Having a plan is good. Having a realistic plan and overestimating the time you need is even better. But regardless of how many backup plans you have, forces beyond your control may still thwart your plans, leaving you wanting. Sometimes the only thing to do is accept that things didn’t turn out as you had hoped. And tomorrow is another day to try again.