I’ve been hearing this expression for weeks now — IT IS WHAT IT IS.Followed by a shrug and a sigh.
It’s pretty apparent people aren’t saying this because everything is hunky dory and coming up roses. No. Whether “it” is the hot mess in Congress or L.A. traffic or losing all the data on your laptop or burning the toast or having your lover walk out on you, I find it somehow comforting to embrace reality, to accept what it is, not what we want it to be.
Rather than interpret “It is what it is” as a sign of resignation, I find it a good starting place. Staying in the present moment promotes a clarity from which conscious choices might arise. Or as my improv teacher says, “Everything is a gift.” And then of course there’s always CE SERA SERA!
As a believer in Rationality, I like it as a starting place for moving away from a Faith-based or Wish-based approach to life.