Picture perfect

We all fantasize about what a picture-perfect life is supposed to look like, right? The white picket fence, the 2.5 kids and the glorious summer vacations have all floated through our imaginations at some point in our lives. The problem begins when we hold ourselves to these standards and wait for things to be what we imagine they’re supposed to be.

Think about all of the first dates you’ve been on. If you only went on a second date with someone who fit all of the criteria that you’ve held onto since you were seven (when you only wanted Prince Charming), you would never get a second date. Ever.

The same philosophy applies to all aspects of our lives, not only the romantic parts. At one time or another, we’ve all imagined our perfect future jobs, homes and children, and some of us probably imagined growing old gracefully like Sophia Loren or Sean Connery. While we hold some control over our homes and our jobs, we have very little control over our children and our appearances. These things are the way they are, no matter how we imagine them to be.

So the sooner we realize the above to be true, the sooner we’ll find happiness. The day we release ourselves from what we cannot control in our life is the day we begin to live our lives on our terms — not the way they’re “supposed” to be.