WE WRITE OUR OWN
Thursday Dec. 12, 2013
Open any newspaper any day.
See the world, citizens, doing horribly wrong-headed things.
There seems to be a limit, like a disclaimer on the ON SALE sign in a store: “one idiot per village”.
Cities, allowed slightly more. Leaving 7 billion non-idiots, brilliant, hard working most days, caring always, motivated to get up each morning to change the world a little if we can or die trying.
Or change it a lot.
Have you every played this game – after Chinese food with friends, when you open fortune cookies?
Someone at the table says read your fortune, and then add the words ‘IN BED’.
It’s fun. Laughter is assured.
Today, try this one – a twist on that theme.
Add the word ‘always’ at the end of every sentence you write, every paragraph you end – every strong statement you make today … add .
Trust your instinct, always.
We should rush, run forward into life like moths drawn to flame – or, run vewwwy vewwwy fast the other way, always!
Worst of all, don’t just sit there wondering if you have the courage to move. Run into trouble, or run from it – but don’t wallow in it, don’t just sit there. Always.
Goethe said: “In the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm .. in the real world all rests on perseverance.”
You might say, his words don’t factor in luck, good or bad, don’t factor in market timing, financing, regulation, bumping into bureaucracy, stupidity, ill-health, the collective burden of past mistakes resting on our shoulders, like boulders, always.
Every minute of every day we assess risk – in people, opportunities and timing – always.
Every minute, we are more right than wrong, always.
We make a difference, always.
We live and work and love because we have purpose – or because we are on a quest to find one. Everyone does. You may be different, but you are never alone. Always.
So, if these things are true – and surely you agree with me – why isn’t everyone applying their collective shoulders to the same wheel, why is it always so hard?
It isn’t about love or joy, isn’t about courage, isn’t about work ethic or values, isn’t about self-worth, net-worth or death or taxes – but it in all ways possible we let excuses and obstacles cloud our view, always.
Lets face it, yes, face our fears, always.
Facing facts is so easy, always.
But facing fears, for years and years, is more than tricks with mirrors and smoke – it is seeing our talents, hopes and dreams – using them to drive us, to help where we can and to dream large. Dream long. Dream today. Reach up, reach out, stretch . . . always.
So easy, I think, to imagine everything going horribly wrong – so easy, to have hopes easily dashed – when fears come roaring back into the room. As if they have some right to be there. Fear only has a right if we give it, so refuse it, always.
Refuse to let fear win. Refuse to let fear have a seat at the table, always.
I am inspired, and more than a little fired up. Go ahead. Take a chance. Take chances on wild ideas and sideward glances, take a risk, take a leap – stick it out there, put your ideas on display, your feelings on the front burner turned up high, risk your heart . . . always.
Go ahead, because the words alone propel us forward. Go ahead, say it. Go ahead, write it, ask for what you want, always.
If you don’t ask, you don’t get - - - always.
Don’t dream small. Dream large, always.
Don’t live for tomorrows that may only arrive for others, always.
Live for today, be bold today, be somebody’s wild card today, be brave today – because, when tomorrow comes, you’ll be ready for more of that, having come off a day of it. And on that tomorrow we don’t get up for, we will know we went out in a flourish of energy and doing, burning brightly like there was no tomorrow – and life will be its best, forever, and always.
Every mistake we make is neither final or fatal. Think about it – we can only make one fatal error in our entire lives. All other mistakes, we can recover from. Any progress, ever, has been possible because people tried things – made mistakes, took chances, tried stuff – and worked toward better life, better world and better feelings, always.
Life is so much better than a fortune cookie. We write our own. Always.
Mark Kolke
200,608
column written/ published from Calgary
morning walk: -4C / 25F, overcast, snow softening, great traction for Gusta (better for me too), traffic mushing through brown slush while most of the landscape is pure white, though those drifts are slumping
Comments Received:
I was wondering if you could ask the person who described you as a "wild card" what they meant by that exactly. Sometimes it works for me and sometimes I wished I hadn't asked. Gw, Brady, Tx.
