Human.

Congruency is lovely. To be able to see ourselves engaged with the world in a way that validates who we are, driven to pursuits that are extensions of our values. It is a wonderful aspiration to have and I hope we all get to experience some semblance of it.

But sometimes we seek alignment when it is simply not there. It bothers us when what we are doing is not representative of how we see ourselves. So we attempt to remove this sense of dissonance, either by adopting a perspective that fits better with our actions or close our eyes to contradictions. But inauthentic alignment has a way of leaving traces, traces that tickle at the soul. Like jigsaw pieces that you have to push down hard to make fit.

We could of course change what we are doing, but maybe we have grown fond or attached to some of the things we do, or that it would be too huge an undertaking to alter course. We might not even be sure which part of us needs to change?

Our values change, as do our perspectives and desires, not to mention circumstances.

Hoping they will evolve together in perfect harmony might be expecting too much.

I imagine it is what fates us to be the hypocritical creatures that we are.

How might we navigate these misalignments? First steps could be to acknowledge it and try to be specific about it. Knowing where we stand, even when we are cross legged and awkwardly positioned, can provide a sense of self. As opposed to being lost in a web of rationalizations and changing narratives. Take the time to examine and validate the parts of ourselves that are compassionate, generous or courageous and where we are also greedy, petty, or vindictive.

When we are ready to address our contradictions, we have a better idea of what/where they are. In the meantime, might we allow ourselves a little contradiction, a little authentic incongruency.