A Separate Existence
We all take probing looks into the mirror, expecting to find life’s elusive truths. We peer deep into the eyes of the person across from us wanting answers. But while the reflection is usually a pronounced part of the plaguing problem, the mirror casts more delusion than truth, creating the deception that we each are a separate existence, isolated and unconnected to others and our surroundings. To bring verity to this self-indulgent fantasy of staring into such a specious speculum, we should strive to see those that anger, frustrate, and are less fortunate than us. We are them, and they are us.
Following A Bad Plan
Just little bit farther; wait a little bit longer; one more time, and it’ll happen. Isn’t that what we tell ourselves? Grit, determination, perseverance. That’s the foundation of all success stories, right? But it’s also the script of most abject failures, too. We get so locked in on an idea, a direction, a destination, that we lose all perspective. Stopping would mean that we were misguided or wrong. But in the moments we admit how lost we are is when we may have the most clarity. To go any farther only moves us further away from what we really need.
The Common Demoninator
Life is tough. People, places, experiences, seemingly stack up against us, conspiring to keep us from what we are meant to do. We fight, scratch, and grind, but at every turn, someone or something is ready to foil our progress. It doesn’t matter what we do. The world is against us. But maybe as we toil in the rubble of our attenuate aspiration, we should notice what is common in all these tales of contrived sabotage. Protagonist, antagonist, or supporting character, we are in there somewhere. We may play the victim, but the only thread in all the drama is us.
Free to Wander
We want space — to be free and encumbered — to pursue whatever we want and become whomever we desire. But the experience is rife with change, uncertainty, and never-ending challenge. A moment of clarity and achievement quickly becomes despair and failure before we even have time to appreciate what has happened. It is this oscillation between aimless wandering and firm grounding that produces the sense of self we seek. We must rest in all experiences and learn what they have to teach us. In an instant, they’ll be gone, and the chains of responsibility will become our wings of freedom.
Being In Front
Being in front is often mistaken with leadership. But just because a person is ahead of others does not mean one is being a strong leader. So many motivations drive people to leadership positions, unfortunately, the least of which is the wisdom and benevolence needed to guide and direct others. True leaders knows how to achieve individual and group goals from any position. The more leaders are interconnected with their teams, the better they can assess and act in the appropriate way. To feel pressure to be in front is the greatest indication one is not deserving of the position.
