Snipped

Not my hair...

I had a haircut this week.
Not a big change, just a good trim in time for summer.

Before we had started, my stylist communicated well with me, confirming that I wanted about 3 inches taken off. More than just trimming the split ends, long enough to be easily pulled back.
She started by taking off about an inch – until I confirmed that I really did want it shorter, and then – snip!

As we were chatting, she commented that I was always so relaxed about my haircuts… and I replied that it’s only hair! If I didn’t like the end result, it would just grow back. The stylist at the next chair said she wished she heard that perspective more often!
As I am not someone who spends much time styling my hair (a simple ponytail is my normal summer ‘look’), I was less concerned about defining the precise outcome that some others do.
No shade on those who do – it’s just not my thing.

I try to live life with a similar viewpoint. Life will happen – sometimes as we expect, sometimes very differently. Sometimes the outcome is exactly our goal, and we can be pleased; or it may be adequate but not quite what we had in our minds; or it could be entirely … off.

But: the do-over can happen. Like a tragic haircut, it will usually grow back. It takes some time and effort, and often some involvement from someone with appropriate skillsets. (My stylist for growing out the pixie cut was fabulous!)
But we can consider more than just the immediate.
We can work to change our patterns, styling our habits in ways that will be helpful.

We can communicate what we want - meaning we've spent some time thinking about it.

We can make changes gradually, and increase over time if we feel it appropriate. Or we can choose a drastic change!
We can make effort to repair damaged relationships; and if that’s not feasible we can accept that it’s not meant to be, and move forward with peace.
We can adapt to the circumstances that life throws at us, like containing a ponytail on a windy day or planning a perfect blowout for an event… we almost always have some options as to how we respond to the world around us.

And – more often than not – we can simply be satisfied with what we have, day after day.