When the Dream House Became A Building Site

Nothing says stress quite like moving house. 

Unless you've spent four months searching for your dream home, while your buyers patiently wait for you to find one. 

Then imagine finally getting the keys only to discover that almost nothing works.

Yes we were expecting the stained nicotine walls, ceilings and doors.

Even the dust was an interesting colour but.....

• The kitchen was unusable.
• The heating didn't work.
• The hot water tap had seized.

And yes... there was even an avocado bathroom suite.

To make matters even more interesting, we moved in during January.

Cold.

Dark.

Smelly

If I'm honest, it nearly broke us.

When the dream doesn't feel like a dream 

This was supposed to be my dream house.  We'd finally moved to the beach. 

And we all love watching those house refurbishment shows!

The real truth - I genuinely wondered if we'd made a huge mistake. 

But I had to keep it together.  After all it was my idea to move from a finished house to a grotty building site?

Daily Mindfulness

My Dad recently asked me if I practice mindfulness everyday.  Getting to the mat can be a challenge, but years of practice means that the principles are embedded. 

Mindfulness saved me!

Not because it made the builder arrive any quicker.

Not because it magically gave us heating or a kitchen.

But because it reminded me that the difficult seasons don't last forever.

The difficult days still arrive and the plans still go wrong. 

Life continues to be beautifully imperfect.

Joy can exist alongside all of that.  It doesn't need to wait for life to be perfect.  It's already here.

We had a warm duvet, a roaring fire, a purring cat and a lot of red wine! And somehow, we made those simple things enough for that moment.

Alongside the endless tasks was an awareness that deadlines are often just imaginary and we had to make time to rest too.

Not every day feels joyful.

And that's the nature of life. 

The practice isn't about pretending that everything is o.k.  It's simply remembering to stay open to the moments that are.

Mindfulness has never taught me how to control life. 

It's taught me how to meet life exactly as it is!

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:

• Why We Chase Happiness
• Happiness vs Joy
• How Mindfulness Helps You Notice More Joy
• Practising Mindfulness When We Need It Most

Or, if you'd like a gentle daily practice, explore 365 Days of Mindfulness—a year's worth of guided mindfulness reflections and practices designed to help you meet life with greater awareness, kindness and joy.