We have this history of impossible solutions to insoluble problems.
Will Eisner
I have a friend who always knows what could go wrong. Under the guise of caution, he is, most of all, cautious with his faith. And he’s very cautious with his dreams. Although imperfectly, this is not how I live my life. Generally I take on a little more than I can handle, get bids on things I can’t afford, draw plans for projects bigger than my skills, and make lists for things that, yes, seem impossible.
The one place I get miserly in my faith is with myself, with my own most personal dreams. I tell my kids to never let anything stop them, to go forth believing everything will work out even better than expected, and I’ve watched their lives grow accordingly…
But I don’t afford myself the same sort of full and magical belief that it’s not all up to me. I tend to work as though everything in my life is strictly dependent upon proving myself, through sheer will, grit and elbow grease.
But while will, grit, and elbow grease are all very handy tools to keep in my toolbox, I don’t actually believe they are the answer, at least not alone. I know in my heart that there is an easier way of living, that joy actually wants to be felt.
So I’m setting out again, this time with a new intention. I’m going forward believing that there will be things waiting in my path to surprise me, to aide me, to make my load light. I’m going forth, beginning now, believing the journey itself actually wants to bring me joy.
Because suddenly I realize that that is what I’ve known all along.
Partial page text: Don’t invent your own bad press. Don’t invest in old ghosts. Don’t believe that old scars foretell new injuries. Remember what you know, not what the gremlins tell you. Forge, baby! The past is not where your future lies!
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