I’m not sure about you; however, at times, I think of life as being either black or white. I have to be all in or, all out!  

What if life is neither? 

What if life is walking in the gray? 

How many times do we eat a salad, no carbs, and/or run on the treadmill for an hour to try and lose the evasive pervasive stubborn five pounds? Then, we tire of the routine, we binge, sit on the couch and eat ice cream, watch movies, and don’t bother exercising at all! Sound familiar? 

What if there’s a middle ground? 

A place of gray! 

Recently, I had some skin cancer removed from my face. The doctor told me not to walk on the treadmill or ride the elliptical bike for the next ten days. I could walk with my Seeing Eye dog. However, I don’t think she realized my pup and I walk three miles at a time and at three-plus miles per hour. My heart rate at times reaches above 120 BPM’s. At first, I thought I couldn’t walk with my dog at all; that black-and-white thinking. However, perhaps there would be a way! What if I used my cane in my right hand and heeled her in my left? We both would get out for exercise! Walking wouldn’t allow her to use her guiding skills; however, it’d be better than her lying at home sunbathing all day long; which is her passion. 

This got me thinking about how we all have that black or white-all or nothing mentality.  

Life sometimes is walking in the gray; in the middle of the road. It’s okay to take a different path! It’s okay to not be perfect! It’s okay to try something new! We don’t have to be superstars nor do we have to be non-celebrities either. We can just be! 

We can walk with our heads held high in the middle of the road. We can embrace the gray! We can be who we are meant to be! We don’t have to run on the treadmill every day! We don’t have to eat salads 24/7! Whatever we choose to do, we are perfect the way we are! There are no shoulds (s). There isn’t anyone out there we need to impress. There isn’t a magic formula to life. We all find our own path!  

The only magic formula to life is to love ourselves! The only magic formula is to accept ourselves the way we are! The only magic formula is to be blessed by whatever circumstances come our way! As the first verse of the song “I Love Myself the Way I Am” says:  

“I love myself the way I am, there’s nothing I need to change 

I’ll always be the perfect me, there’s nothing to rearrange. 

I’m beautiful and capable of being the best me I can 

And I love myself just the way I am.” 

I challenge you the next time you find yourself trying to be perfect, let go! Slow down! Try walking in the gray! Try breathing, allowing your body and mind to be at peace, and just let yourself be content in the moment. In walking in the gray, relaxing, and allowing yourself to be loved, you’ll release stress and anxiety! And, the more you walk in the gray, the more you will change the way you see and change the way you live.