If You Didn't Get The Result That You Wanted, Did The Experience Suck?

 Yes, it is a pretty long title but it got me thinking.

Today, I actually managed to do a short body scan meditation using Sharon Salzberg's audio on YouTube. Here is the link if you are interested in trying out her meditation Wake Up Meditation ft. Sharon Salzberg

Then I got into some morning painting + I was following an artist I've never followed before + I was just genuinely struggling with the whole process.

I labeled the whole morning painting experience as a total bust because I didn't get the result I was looking for.

Which made me wonder, was the experience really that bad or was my expectation of what I wanted to paint unrealistic?

What does this have to do with mindfulness meditation?

A lot!

Here's the thing, some days you sit + meditate + even after the sesh is done, you are still feeling overwhelmed or stressed. And you know what, that's normal. 

Sometimes, I think that we need a friendly, compassionate reminder that if we have a meditation practice that doesn't go exactly our way, doesn't mean that it was a shitty one.

Life happens + we are all human + sometimes we gotta just take a step back + lighten up on our expectations just a little bit so that we can see the bigger picture.

For me, this painting experience reminded me that just because I didn't get the painting results I wanted, doesn't mean that I failed or that my work sucks.

So if you are feeling or have felt what I'm feeling, ask yourself if the experience truly sucked or maybe your expectation of it was unrealistic. 

Hope you guys are well + safe.