In Frederic Haugen’s newsletter, Seven Good Things, I found the following quote: “What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?” – George Eliot

It was a good reminder that life is messy and that friction is a part of life. Otherwise, we wouldn’t need to choose to live our relationships in a way that makes life less difficult for each other.

The trap is to assume that there are shortcuts, as, for example: avoiding conflicts or doing what the other wants.

Naturally, this isn’t an invitation to run into conflicts or to avoid doing what the other wants.

Experiencing fewer conflicts or finding ourselves in a relationship where the things we want are well in place can be outcomes.

What I’m doing is putting things in perspective.

Once that perspective is accessible, accepting to see life as it is and choosing to find a way to master it becomes accessible too.

One of the most important rules within that perspective is that forcing the outcome to happen doesn’t work. Mastering is the result of understanding the process and being able to regularly return to it.

Trusting the process is the beginning; it is a leap of faith to become able to experience the path to the outcome. Integrating that learning transforms trust in the process into faith in the process. It’s when mastering can unfold and grow.