“You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was.”
Irish Saying
I love the Irish! Do some research and you’ll find, beyond all the stereotypes, that some of the most fascinating thinkers have come from that tiny nation… The saying above points out one thing in my mind: There is no finish line in this life. You have to live every day as it comes. Way leads unto way. The road goes ever on. When the last breath comes, it’s on to the next place.
There is always possibility. I’ve become less of a fan of the word hope. We all have to get up and work to move in the direction we want to go in. There is nothing that says life needs to be an absolute slog either. It’s simply making the choice. Sometimes we get lost. That’s part of the journey, any journey.
I’m at a place in my journey and I’m looking for the next turn. I’m in a roundabout circling, looking for the right exit. Sending up flares, asking for help and the GPS, whom we call Janet, is droning on in the background… but is she telling me how to get to where I want to be? After all we still have to choose. Turn and go.
Kevin and I went to a class, years ago now, and learned the beginnings of baking bread. We made 4 different kinds, hand mixed dough, let it proof and rest. Baked it, made a pizza… It was a good time. Baking is a process. Chemistry. Who came up with the idea of taking grain and milling it down to flour, mixing it with water, salt, yeast and baking it into bread? It’s so abstract but brilliant. It’s ancient. It’s been developed over millennia. There’s nothing like a good loaf. Well after time and putting what we used into practice, Kevin is a master bread baker.
A favorite saying in my family has been “just get on with your life!” It was never offered as a solution it was dismissive. Dismissive of being accountable for learned and observed behaviors that were passed down form elders who lacked the courage and emotional intelligence to break free of the cycle of dysfunction.
We have to get our hands dirty. It’s uncomfortable and at times counter-intuitive. Sometimes events unfold slowly or ignite like a fire storm. Just be ready. I have come to know that the subconscious always delivers. We plug in training, knowledge, the simple repetitive exercise and presto: the subconscious always delivers options, solutions to a problem we’ve been thinking about. That is the process behind trusting your intuition. The calm, cool, collected voice inside your mind delivering up great suggestions and ideas… We all have it.
This writing is about honing in on that voice. I’m going to keep at it even though the “finish line” is behind me. They’re only words after all…