No one is born into perfection. Then again, nobody is perfect anyway, right?
No one walks into a job and knows everything on the first day. No one gets on a bike without falling a few times and no one among us is above being shaken or disturbed.
The one thing we can all be confident of is that there is always a learning curve. This means we need time to adjust. This means we have to adapt to new information.
Or maybe this is a new routine. Maybe we have to learn more before we feel comfortable. We have to get in a few practice swings before we can be comfortable with our new surroundings.
See what I mean? This is all part of the learning curve.
However, the curve is not the same for everyone. I say this because not everyone learns, interprets, or understands at the same capacity.
Our personal learning curve is a timeframe in which we learn and progress. Sometimes this is simple and easy. Other times, not so much.
I submit that talents might be natural but no one is born with direction. Secondly, talents are discovered. And so is passion. No one is born with this. Instead, these are things that come with time.
“Don’t be in a hurry to condemn because a person doesn’t do as you do or think as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn’t know what you know today.”
Malcom X~
I have heard this quote in different ways but either way, the statement is still true. There is a time when we did not know what we know today. There was a time when we were not as fast and there was a time when we struggled more. Nothing worthwhile was easy from the beginning. We experienced growing pains to get where we are. And don’t you forget it.
There was a time when our vision was less-than clear or perhaps our vision was clear and at the time, we clearly saw that our life was heading in a poor direction.
There was no passion. Each day was a “cookie-cutter” resemblance to the next. There was no real excitement. The job was boring or life was more of a “matter of fact.”
Where was the passion here?
Our passion is a useful tool. This is our compelling emotion which drives us. This gives us purpose. This helps us make sense as to why we get out of bed in the morning or why we go to work or keep a roof over our heads. We have to feed this. We have to nurture this. We have to train and allow this to grow like a living, breathing thing.
Our passion is our direction. This is the proverbial carrot in front of the horse because to us, we need this vision. We need a reason. We need direction. Otherwise, we are caught in the rut of life, which at best can only be more of the same.
Our passion becomes our fuel. But wait, what do we do if we don’t have any passion? What do we do if we find ourselves locked in the discontent of nothingness?
There’s nothing to whet the appetite. There’s nothing to give us a thirst or keep us hungry. Instead, all we notice is the common sights.
No changes. No updates to the landscape. We see the same streets and make the same turns. There’s nothing innovative or refreshing. But instead, we notice a staleness or an otherwise bland approach to our everyday living.
What do you do when life gets this way?
How do you overcome or shake the mundane features of a life which is less-desired and change this into a new waypoint. What do you do when all you see is boring and lifeless (or loveless).
How do you move when the lack of passion has taken away your drive or, in a sense, left us impotent?
(so-to-speak)
We have mouths to speak and ears to hear. Unless we have physical challenges, we have eyes. We have the ability to move or advance. We can improve. We can change our direction or change our mind and if this doesn’t work – we can change our mind again. In fact, there is no mystery. The problem we face is the direction of our motivation. Either we become stale or stagnant or we grow and go forward.
There is no mystery.
The challenge is here: Do we get up and go? Or, do we stay as we are? Do we stay safe and unchallenged and short of our potential? We can do this too. But to what avail?
Our passion is our spark. This is what drives us to live out loud and above all, this is us at our best. This is our perfection.
This is not a talent. No, this is an effort from the heart and, make no mistake, once you find this and once you find the fuel to your fire – nothing can stop you.
Once you see the birth of your dreams and once you realize that this is the path – then go. Do it. Don’t think or question. Don’t negotiate. Don’t discount yourself.
Go. Be. Do.
Your passion for what you love will become your secret of endurance. This will be what allows you to withstand. But more, this is what will make you refuse to quit.
But wait.
What if you can’t find this. Or, better yet, what if you know what this is but there are too many obstacles? There are too many roadblocks and too many reasons why nothing ever works.
Either way, none of this matters. Go for it. Touch it. Feel it.
Even if the feeling is short lived, reach for this and let yourself feel the thrill – even if this is only for a second. Let yourself achieve this and find what it is that fills your tank
(so you can keep going).
This is how we build our reward system and, one by one, this is how our passion is built. Above all things, this is how dreams come true.
I was told by someone who felt excluded about their trip into recovery. To them this was a lifelong journey with alcohol being their only friend – or, so they thought.
At best, they only acquired 10 or maybe 20 days before getting a case of the “Fuck-Its!” and picking up a six-pack on the way home from work. This is how it started. “Just one.”
“I’ll just have one.”
But it’s never just one. It’s never just one six-pack or one shot of vodka. No, this is only the beginning because at times like this (whether the beast you dance with is alcohol or otherwise) it’s that first one that gets you in trouble.
I was told about their length of sobriety to which, according to their report, was not very long.
This person had 21 days.
I remarked that this is great because there was a time when they couldn’t go 21 minutes. Perhaps there was a time when they couldn’t go 21 seconds. Yet, here they are sober, aware and working through the dilemmas that would have otherwise led them to drink.
I say this is better than 21 days. I say this is outstanding and a reason to celebrate. Then again, I know this person on a personal level – and to me, seeing them come around is incredible to me.
Life is not always made with a smooth fit. We have to adjust and find our spots. We have to find what we love. We need more than a quick fix. We have to find what gives us hope without tearing us apart and like the wind in our sails, we have to be willing to withstand the tides and the currents.
We have to be willing to ride through the storms because when we come out on the other side, we will know exactly where we came from and what we’ve overcome.
But I get it . . .
There are times when we have no vision. Also, there are times when our vision can be painful. These are the times when we see what we walked away from. This is when we realized that we quit on ourselves and we lose to this way of thinking like a body as it loses to quicksand.
I get that life can be disappointing. I get it when things let us down. All I have for you in this entry is Go, Be, and Do.
Find your stride. Take a breath.
Look ahead and start moving.
Don’t look back and don’t look down.
Just keep going and allow the concepts in your mind to pass through.
Find what you love to do . . .
. . . find what you live for
and let this make you feel alive.
The Written Addiction 