Sitting here staring at a blank page. Looking for the idea, thought, inspiration. Wondering if I should just quit for now. Go watch TV. Yet here, in the hard start, is the path forward. At least that is what I believe. If I stay and write I will build the writing muscle. If I want to build content, possibly script a book, then there has to be days like this.
I love the ease of inspiration when prose flows out my finger tips. I think most of us would choose to live inspired, joyful, focused if we could. To walk through each day flowing from activity to activity doing exactly what was perfectly right to meet our desired outcomes. It’d be the dream. Right? What I’ve experienced, however, is far from that dream. Life is a roller coaster. Mentally, emotionally, physically, in love, in work, in finances, in growth, in loss, the world rolls in waves. Lifting us and dropping us. I could, with just cause, resent the tides of living. Hold grudges for perceived injury and offenses. I could demand entitlement from the universe. Tho I’m sure She would not listen.
The trouble comes from the idea that: If everything went right, it would be easy. We get caught up believing the waves, the hard starts, the mistakes, the regrets; should not happen. Why? Because when those things happen it hurts. Our pride or confidence slips. We burn with embarrassment or shame. Or, we simply get overwhelmed and stressed out. It is NOT fun. I see a fundamental truth in the correlation between mishap and achievement. As not fun as some experiences are they’re required. As dull as some tasks are, they’re required.
I have a point of contention with some of the people and organizations in my industry. Those who promise spectacular results from easy steps that require little to no effort. Some of the personalities that pour out silky feel good without substance. If coasting to success was viable there would be a few hundred thousand more millionaires.
To make the strides and gains we desire we have to release the belief of “wrong”. Because I’m not living the dream, it’s all wrong. Because the conversation was contentious, it was wrong. Because I sit with a blank page, it’s wrong. What if everything that happened was exactly what was supposed to happen? What if, instead, we embraced the waves? What if we held our arms up in release to the rush of the roller coaster? First it would not seem so terrifying. Second we could open ourselves to the gifts that are present in every mishap, challenge, struggle, regret, mistake, and hard start. When we move away from what-did-I-do-wrong into what-are-the-gifts there is an energy shift. We get to claim skills and knowledge. We get to understand ourselves at a deeper level. We gain perspective, become wiser, resilient, strong. It is the becoming of who we are meant to be.
While we might think we want smooth and easy we would soon discover the tedium of that life. We would find our spirits stifled. The fires of our magnificent visions would dwindle to dull embers. We need challenge and mishap to feel the exhilaration of winning. At your core is a crucible containing your essence and all the elements you need to have, be, do, anything. You are equipped to deal, equipped to ride the roller coaster, equipped to catch the waves. The elements in your crucible in raw form are potent, yet, only through the waves, coaster, fire and hammer, mishap and win will they be shaped into the glorious you.
For Your Best Possible Self
Coach Christine Clark