Spill the Milk
Every morning, I make myself a cup of cocoa.
Other people have their morning coffee, but I have cocoa. In the cold months, I have it warm. In the warm months, I have it iced. Dedication.
Most days, as I mix up the ingredients and carefully measure out my (oat) milk---I'm lactose intolerant, not just trendy---I spill a little on the counter. Nevermind that I am using the "wrong" measuring cup. Every baker knows that I should be using my liquid measuring cup, and yet I rebel.
And, so it is, most mornings, as the milk gets to the top, I inevitably go just the tiniest bit over and spill.
Well, today I was NOT going to let that happen. I stopped just short of the top of the measuring cup and thought I was oh so clever. Take that, milk!
And then, you know what...
As I methodically led the measuring cup to the mixing container, I bumped my hand.
I spilled the milk...and not just a tiny bit this time.
Sometimes, the more we try to control a situation, the more chaos we create. In our desire to make everything go just perfectly or a certain way, we attempt to shape or mold the experience and it takes us further away from our actual goal.
Now, some level of conscious intention is fine. Afterall, I could certainly just use the right measuring cup and yet, there is a reason I use the one I do---ease. It's in the same drawer as everything else I use, while the liquid cups need to be stored elsewhere for size.
Sometimes, our needs are conflicting. We have to be willing to make compromises in our life. Not everything we do will have the perfect solution and meet all our needs simultaneously.
Sometimes, we have to be willing to just spill the milk.