But there is a disconnect in the comparison….
When climbing a mountain, all one needs to do is choose a
mountain on a map and one can usually even find a predetermined path to the
top. The metaphor suggests that when we are
looking for success, all we need to do is find the paths that have already been
proven. I know many people who have, by
their ambition, been led to find some cookie cutter recipe to success. I call these people sheep-people. And no matter how ambitious, a lamb is still a lamb.
But what about those of us that want to find our own
way? For some, only a creative life will
satisfy. Some like Og Mandino, who
claims, “I am here for a purpose, and that purpose is to grow into a mountain,
not to shrink to a grain of sand.
Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of
all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.” While living another’s life is an option, I
submit that it is the essence of the human spirit to create our own path—to
“grow” our own mountain, to not be sheep.
The process is a rewarding, albeit difficult, process to
pursue. It takes a great deal of
discipline and mental power. By
undertaking such a task, you will be fighting against yourself, and the current
culture. Both are exceptionally intimidating
rivals. It will seem like an immovable
wall at first, but momentum will grow and your perseverance will lead to the
most sustaining state of self-control ever to be had. The good thing about process' is they have steps. How do you eat an Elephant? One bite at a time!
Understanding your Reality
If you were dropped in the middle of a random desert,
blind-folded, with a map and a destination, what is the first thing you have to
do to reach that destination? You could
start wandering and looking, or you could open the map and find the
destination. One of these answers is
definitely better than the other, but still not the best. What we have to remember in creating our
life, and in orienteering, is that direction is relative. It doesn’t matter one bit that you can find
the destination on a map if you have no idea where you are in relation. With this understanding, it is fair to say
that an accurate knowledge of your reality is essential if you want to end up
in a specific place.
People dismiss their reality for countless reasons and in a
wide variety of ways. Generally we tend
to be either overly positive or overly negative. Understanding personal reality is about
finding the balance of these two extremes.
Why? A person that is overly
positive is only able to retain such positivity by disregarding and ignoring
any hint of problem, and thus removing any necessity for change or growth. This is a direct result of fear. Humans fear change because it hurts their
chances for comfort. On the other hand,
we get overly negative when we lose sight of any remaining hope. This hurts our chances of growth because we feel like there is no chance of growth. So why try for progressing in either
case? See the problem? Again, the solution is in the balance. In the balance, our knowledge of our problems
is coupled with the energizing power of hope.
So, we know we need balance, but how do we find it? An idea is given from the words of the ancient
Greek poet, Hesoid.
He is best of all who of himself
conceivith all things;
Good again is he to who can adopt a
good suggestion;
But whoso neither of himself
conceiveth, nor hearing from another
Layeth it to heart;—he is a useless
man.
Not only does Hesiod validate the necessity for reality, he
gives the sources from which such knowledge should be acquired. We determine our reality from both looking
at ourselves and hearing it from others.
Reality acquired by Self-conception: When we speak of looking at our self to find
our reality, we mean our inner self.
This is our emotional state, our mental state. Deep inside is where we find our purpose and
our desires. The battles of our emotions
are fought here. In a world where our
identity tends to get mixed up in what we see around us, such a peek into our
internal self-hood can be revealing.
There are countless opportunities for such encounters with The
Self. I find my mind wandering there
when I am by myself, on my bicycle in the middle of nowhere. There’s something about the hum of the tires
on the pavement harmonizing with the rotation of the cranks that puts me in such
a self-reflective state. The only thing missing
then is a pen and paper to write it all down.
Your mind is freer with this personal information when writing it. There is much to be learned from keeping a
journal. The process may be different
for you, but it can yield the same result. Find your favorable time to meditate and
record what you learn.
Reality acquired by external help: It would be foolish not to accept the wisdom
of others close to us when trying to determine our own realistic state. We all have people we trust that can help us
a great deal. The nice thing is (nice,
if you think about it positively) you usually don’t even have to ask for such
criticism. In my experience, people will
give it freely. What we need to be
prepared for is how we will accept it.
Whether you are a leader of a large organization, or a father heading a
small family, feedback can be your best friend.
(It certainly was when writing this blog post. I’m sure this post would be an ugly sight if
it weren’t for all the people that have helped me. Maybe you think it is still an ugly
sight. In which case you may comment and
I will most certainly listen.)
To recap, reality is essential to changing your life because
you must know where you are in order to get where you want to go. This reality is found where hope and knowledge
of your current state (good or bad) meet and can be found through meditation
and feedback from trusted sources.
So we begin to see the elephant. Let’s dig in!
Stay tuned for more steps in the process of creating your own life!
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