The great life lesson was unknown to me
As it was happening in the moment.
It took many years of trial and error
and trying on another’s ideas or practices
into my own life.

Some practices resonated deeply with me.
Others I tried in vain to make work
Unwilling to feel like a failure
As I set out to try it yet again.
Setting high unrealistic expectations
then wondering and strengthening 
my own perceived shortcomings.

It is natural and normal
To try things on for size
To see if it is a fit.
It’s also natural and normal
To try to make things work,
To try again and again.

As I’ve matured
I finally learned
The greatest lesson:
That it is natural and normal
To let it go;
To thank it 
For not fitting quite right
And to be on the lookout
For a better fit.

For a practice to truly stick
It has to be modified
And incorporated into every day life.
If it sits on a shelf
Or stays tucked away neatly
In a notebook,
Never to be visited again
For months or years,
It is just wishful thinking.
Of course, we can feel like a failure
But it wasn’t the right fit.

It’s okay to dabble,
To take just one piece
And add it to your toolbelt
If it works and
Adds value to daily life.

The final lesson of all is that
It’s up to me to find my own fulfillment.
I can try things on for size
But I am in the driver seat.
I can pick and choose
And let the rest go.